Happy Easter & Weekly Update | |
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Happy Friday, District 5! To those who observe Good Friday, I wish you a day of peace, reflection, and gratitude as you prepare for Easter Sunday. I hope all who celebrate Easter do just that: embrace the joy-filled holiday of rebirth and renewal in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. Whether you’re hunting for colored eggs or simply spending time with loved ones, I wish you a warm and happy holiday.
Today, March 29th, is also Vietnam Veterans Day. We acknowledge all Vietnam War Vets in our community and those who are no longer with us. Thank you for your service! If you know of a veteran with a connection to Long Beach, you can nominate them for the Long Beach Honors Veterans Banners Program to have a light-pole banner put up in their name. Nominations close this Sunday, March 31st, so be sure to submit yours today!
Earlier this week, our office joined the Community Development Department, West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, and many of our residents in a community meeting regarding the proposed affordable housing community at 1131 E Wardlow Rd. Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend. It is important for us as a community to engage in this conversation to understand the context, facts, and potential details for the site. See below for more information.
As we move into next week, remember that Long Beach Unified Schools are on Spring Break the week of April 1st – April 5th. For those who plan on traveling with the time off, I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable trip! For those who are sticking around, as always, there is plenty to do right here in Long Beach. Youth ages 5 – 12 can enroll in the Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department’s Spring Fun Days to take part in a variety of activities throughout the week. Interested youth could also participate in Love Beyond Limits’ Youth Spring Break to work on leadership development and other life skills—and have fun doing it! Find more details about these programs below.
If you’re looking for things to do this weekend, celebrate the last weekend of Women’s History Month by attending or donating to “A Luncheon to Die For,” the American Association of University Women’s author event and fundraiser at LBCC on Saturday, March 30th. See below for more info, and note, all proceeds go towards scholarships for LBCC and Cal State Long Beach!
Looking ahead into April, mark your calendars for a variety of upcoming events! Next weekend, you can join the Bixby Knolls community at First Fridays on April 6th—this month’s theme is “County Fair!” Then you can continue to support the arts with Agape Children’s Museum’s free educational arts fair at the Expo Arts Center on April 6th, or attending the Long Beach Community Band’s free concert on April 7. The following weekend, on April 13th, we hope to see you at the first ever Long Beach Adaptive Sports Fair! This free event at LBCC is open to everyone, of all ages and abilities, to come together, learn about, and participate in adaptive sports. See the flyers below for more information on these and more great upcoming events!
Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, April 2nd at 4pm in the City Hall Chambers. A list of items of interest can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. I encourage you to attend or watch online.
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.
The work continues,
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Megan Kerr, Councilwoman
Long Beach, District 5
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Upcoming Events &
Community Meetings
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Community Development
News & Updates
Proposed Affordable Housing Community on Wardlow
On Tuesday, March 26th, the Community Development Department, in partnership with our office and the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, hosted an informational meeting on the proposed affordable housing development at 1131 E Wardlow Rd. We appreciate everyone who took the time to attend and for providing us with your feedback. We know a great deal of information was presented, so we have linked the presentations below for your reference.
As there is still no official development proposal before Council, this office continues to listen and learn about the potential plans for the site. As noted at the meeting, the renderings are a first draft and we expect additional revisions to come. Many details are still in flux, and we will continue to receive, record, and share any feedback brought forward.
We noticed some broad themes in the areas of interest and concern, including parking, appropriateness of architecture and being complimentary to the adjacent community, and general impact on the quality of life and infrastructure along the Wardlow corridor. Again, it is our understanding that the developers are continuing to workshop their proposal in response to community feedback. The Community Development Department will continue to work with the developer in this process.
This week, our district team has been debriefing internally, as well as with City staff, to reflect on ways we can continue to engage in productive ways with residents as the process continues. We have read and taken note of every question card collected during the meeting.
We appreciate that the meeting was well attended and acknowledge that not everyone chose to or was able to submit a card, or express their their thoughts and questions. We want to continue to hear from you. If you have more you would like to share with us or the city team, we encourage you to fill out this online form. This will help us consolidate and share common concerns with Community Development and the developer as they continue to work on their proposal.
Responses may remain anonymous, and any information included will be for our office’s internal records. By adding your email, you will be added to our office’s list of neighbors who’d like to receive more information and updates from us pertaining to this proposed affordable housing community, and you will be provide with updates and additional opportunities for engagement as they arise. Regardless, we will continue to provide any updates in our office’s weekly newsletter as well.
Again, thank you to everyone who has voiced opinions and questions. We look forward to the continued conversations and future community meetings regarding this proposed affordable housing community.
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Parks, Recreation & Marine
News & Updates
Spring Fun Days: April 1st - 5th
The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will offer its free youth recreation program, Spring Fun Days, at various parks throughout Long Beach during the upcoming school spring break.
Spring Fun Days engage children ages 5 to 12 in fun activities such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and special events. This is a free drop-in program where registered participants may come and go as they please. The program will run Monday through Friday, April 1-5, from noon to 5 p.m. each day at parks throughout Long Beach. Pre-registration is required. Registration forms may be picked up at participating parks beginning Monday, March 18. Call or visit parks for registration times.
More information, including the complete list of participating locations, is available on the Spring Break Fun Days program webpage.
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Community Development
News & Updates
Long Beach Community Development Week
Join the City of Long Beach for a series of events as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program during Community Development Week happening April 1st - 6th! This year's schedule of events is as follows:
How to Navigate Affordable Housing Workshop
Monday, April 1, 2024 | 6 - 7pm
Join online or by phone at 213.338.8477
Meeting ID: 959 3769 5937
First-Time Homebuyer Community Workshop
Tuesday, April 2. 2024 | 4:30 - 5:30pm
Mark Twain Neighborhood Library | 1401 E Anaheim St
Fair Housing 101 Workshop
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 3 - 5pm
City Hall | 411 W Ocean Blvd | 2nd Floor, The Beach Conference Room
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Action Plan Community Workshop (Virtual)
Thursday, April 4, 2024 | 6 - 7pm
Join online or by phone at 213.338.8477
Meeting ID: 985 3302 7669
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Action Plan Community Workshop (In Person)
Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 10am - noon
Admiral Kidd Park Community Center| 2125 Santa Fe Ave
Additionally, in commemoration of Community Development Week, a special proclamation will be presented at the April 2, 2024, City Council meeting.
The CDBG Program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It provides Long Beach and more than 1,200 local governments nationwide with funding to improve the physical, economic and social conditions of communities. Long Beach has used its CDBG funding to support land acquisition for affordable housing, single-family housing rehabilitation programs, public infrastructure projects, small business assistance, rental housing assistance and a broad range of public service programming for low- and moderate-income residents. For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the City received a total of $5.2 million for various activities.
To learn more, visit longbeach.gov/hudgrants.
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City of Long Beach
News & Updates
E-Bike Lending Library Pilot Program
Long Beach is pleased to introduce the E-Bike Lending Library Program. With funding from the Long Beach Recovery Act (LBRA), this program will provide 35 electric bicycles (E-bikes) for a rental period of up to 3 months, at no cost for selected applicants. At least 24 of the E-bikes will be reserved for residents who can show proof of enrollment in any of the qualifying federal or state assistance programs. Through this program, community members will have the opportunity to experience the advantages of active transportation to the community while promoting E-bikes as a reliable option.
Selected participants will receive the required program information, such as a participant guidebook, an E-bike training manual, GPS information, storage instructions, and safety guidelines. Visit the website for more information including program requirements and answers to FAQs.
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Office of Veterans Support
News & Updates
"Long Beach Honors" Veterans Banners Program
The City of Long Beach is accepting nominations for the first-ever “Long Beach Honors” Veterans Banners Program. As part of the City’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, $10,000 was allocated for a pilot Veterans Banners Program to be administrated by the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Veterans Support and the Long Beach Veterans Commission.
The community is encouraged to nominate a veteran, living or deceased, who was in Active Duty, Reserve or National Guard to be honored with a light pole banner. Click here for more information regarding nomination criteria and details.
Nominations for the “Long Beach Honors” Veterans Banners Program will be accepted until March 31, 2024, at 11:45 p.m. PST.
Veteran honorees will be selected by a subcommittee comprising members of the Long Beach Veterans Commission in April and the banners will be installed in time for Memorial Day, which falls on May 27, 2024. The nomination form can be found here.
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Community News & Updates
Go Long Beach App - Correct Version
It has come to our office's attention that some residents may have mistakenly downloaded an incorrect version of the Go Long Beach app used to submit service requests to various City departments. Please ensure you have the correct version downloaded before submitting your next request! Download links for both iOS and Android can be found on the Technology and Innovation Department's webpage. Note, you may also choose to submit requests from your computer, but remember to include as much information as possible, including photos and precise locations, to help the relevant department as they work to fulfill your requests.
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Community News & Updates
Grace First Presbyterian Church to Open Food Pantry
Beginning on April 7, Grace First Presbyterian Church will open a food pantry that will operate on Saturday mornings on the first Saturday of each month.
In response to the growing need for food assistance in our community, Grace First Presbyterian Church is proud to announce the opening of its new food pantry. Located at 3955 N Studebaker Rd, the pantry aims to provide essential support to individuals and families facing food insecurity.
The food pantry will be open on the first Saturday of every month. Individuals and families in need are encouraged to visit the pantry and access the resources available to them. In addition to providing food assistance, Grace First Presbyterian Church will also offer additional support services and resources to help address the root causes of hunger.
For more information on the food pantry program at Grace First, contact Stan DeWitt at stan.gracefirst@gmail.com or 562-972-3324.
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California Department of
Food & Agriculture
Safely Donate Your Backyard Citrus to Grace First Presbyterian Church to Open Food Pantry
With rising food costs, food banks are struggling to meet demand, particularly for nutritious, fresh produce such as citrus. While donations from backyard citrus trees provide a unique solution, residents are being encouraged to follow best practices to ensure they’re not donating produce that may spread harmful pests or diseases that can threaten your community’s backyard fruit.
The Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP), administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, developed the following guidelines on how to safely donate fruit to help limit the movement of the dangerous pest called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), which can spread the deadly citrus tree disease, Huanglongbing (HLB), and other pests and diseases.
ACP and HLB, as well as several species of invasive fruit flies, have been found in the state of California and residential citrus tree owners should be on alert. While not harmful to humans or animals, there is no cure for HLB, and infected trees will die. As of today, HLB has been found in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Although HLB hasn’t been found in a commercial citrus grove, more than 7,400 residential citrus trees in California have been infected with HLB and removed to limit the spread of the disease.
Learn more about the steps you can take to safely donate fresh homegrown produce in the CPDPP's blog post or with this Fruit Donation Guide.
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Fair Housing Foundation News & Events
2024 Youth Poster Contest: "A Place to Call Home"
The Fair Housing Foundation is now accepting submissions for their annual Fair Housing Poster Contest, open to students in 4th to 8th grade. Students must create a poster on any size paper with this year’s theme, “Fair Housing: A Place to Call Home,” and submit the entry via email for a chance to win up to $125! See the flyer below or visit fhfca.org for more details.
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Ocean Protection Council News & Events
Request for Community Input to Inform Statewide Plastics Monitoring Strategy & Plan
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is partnering with the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) to develop a first-of-its kind comprehensive Statewide Plastics Monitoring Strategy & Plan to track the state’s progress and to support future efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
The OPC invites members of the public and community leaders concerned about plastic pollution throughout California’s coastal and statewide regions to share information regarding their plastic pollution priorities and concerns to inform the development of this strategy. You can provide feedback by submitting an online form at SFEI’s website from now until April 3, 2024, or by attending the OPC and SFEI’s upcoming virtual public meeting. This regionally focused public meeting presents an overview of the project and gather feedback at the early stages of this project. Click the date below to register.
- Southern Region: April 3, 2024 | 11am – 1pm
Please visit SFEI’s website for more details about the monitoring plan and community engagement. All questions can be directed to plastics@sfei.org.
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City Celebrates Earth Month with Events & Educational Campaigns Throughout April
The City of Long Beach is celebrating Earth Month by hosting a series of fun, free and family-friendly events, workshops and volunteer opportunities for residents throughout April. Festivities will highlight a range of sustainable topics such as supporting local wildlife, reducing waste and stewarding community spaces.
To commemorate Earth Month 2024, the City has created an Earth Month events calendar, available on the City’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability webpage at longbeach.gov/sustainability, promoting a series of community activities and events throughout the month of April
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach to Host Virtual Community Meeting on Draft Zoning Regulations for Central Long Beach Area
The City of Long Beach Community Development Department (Department) will host a virtual community meeting for the public to learn about and provide feedback on the rezoning proposal for the Zone In: City Core project area, developed based on input received and analysis conducted over the project’s multi-year engagement process.
As part of the public comment period on the rezoning proposal, which is open through April 22, 2024, a virtual meeting will be held Thursday, April 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
LEARN MORE...
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El Dorado East Regional Park Offers Tips for Visitors on Easter Sunday, March 31
With 388-acres of open space, picnicking areas, playgrounds, bicycle trails and many other amenities, El Dorado East Regional Park (7550 S. Spring St.) is a popular place to enjoy Easter Sunday with family and friends. In fact, as Easter Sunday is the busiest day of the year at El Dorado East Regional Park, the City of Long Beach is sharing park rules and visiting tips to help visitors make the most of their day.
Those planning to visit El Dorado East Regional Park on Easter Sunday, March 31, should be advised of the following...
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LB Public Library Celebrates 10 Years of Creativity and Innovation at The Studio Makerspace
The Long Beach Public Library is thrilled to announce the anniversary celebration of The Studio Makerspace with a new exhibition, “A 10-Year Retrospective of Art and Maker Innovation," at the Billie Jean King Main Library. Launched in April of 2014, The Studio has become a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation, serving as a dynamic resource for artists and makers of all ages in the Long Beach community.
To commemorate 10 years of service to the local arts community, community members are invited to attend an opening reception and art exhibition, followed by an open house on Saturday, April 13, from noon to 4 p.m.
LEARN MORE...
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City Announces the Launch of Futures First Initiative for Opportunity Youth Ages 16 to 24
The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Youth Development and the Department of Economic Development Workforce Development Bureau, Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network, in partnership with the April Parker Foundation, is launching the Futures First initiative, which offers holistic life skills, stabilization and career navigation services for opportunity youth, or youth ages 16 to 24 who are not working or in school.
The launch event will take place Thursday, March 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the City’s youth employment center, FutureLB (508 W. Willow St.).
LEARN MORE...
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City Begins Construction for Project Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach has celebrated the beginning of renovations for its forthcoming new interim shelter, Project Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Blvd. This $6.5 million construction project will add to the City’s suite of temporary housing facilities for people experiencing homelessness.
Project Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Blvd. transforms the former Luxury Inn into interim housing for people experiencing homelessness. This project upgrades 78 units – 12 of which will be ADA accessible – along with common areas and support facilities.
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. April 2, 2024, 4:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
FULL AGENDA
Item 4 24-52738 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $3,000, offset by the Fifth Council District One-Time Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution of:
• $1,000 to Bel Canto Books in support of their Festival of AAPI Books;
• $1,000 to Partners of Parks in support of their Juneteenth Celebration;
• $500 to LGBTQ Center Long Beach in support of their Trans Day of Visibility Event;
• $500 to Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation in support of their Cottonwood Award Luncheon; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $3,000, to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.
Item 12 24-52661 Recommendation to adopt Specification No. ITB FM-24-370 and award a contract to Epic Aviation, LLC, of Irving, TX, for the purchase and delivery of unleaded Jet A fuel, in an annual amount of $200,000, and authorize a ten percent contingency of $20,000, for a total annual amount not to exceed $220,000, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)
Item 14 24-52664 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and all documents, subcontracts or subsequent amendments, including amendments to the award amount, with the State of California Department of Education to receive and expend grant funding in the amount not to exceed $9,348, for the provision of health and sanitation inspections for the Summer Food Service Program, for the period of July 1, 2024, to September 14, 2024. (Citywide)
Office or Department: Health and Human Services
Item 20 24-52654 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Long Beach Unified School District for food preparation for the 2024 Summer Food Service Program, in an amount not to exceed $333,450; execute a sponsor/site agreement with the City of Signal Hill; and, execute any documents, including any necessary subsequent amendments to accept funds, implement, and administer the 2024 Summer Food Service Program, from June 17, 2024, through August 23, 2024. (Citywide)
Item 24 24-52648 Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare ordinance updating enforcement options and procedures for Short-Term Rentals. (Citywide)
Office or Department: Community Development
Item 27 24-52582-01 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending Title 9 in the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 9.33 relating to City Library Rules, and adding Sections 9.33.010, 9.33.020, 9.33.030, all relating to the City Library Rules, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
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