International Women's Day & Weekly Updates | |
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Happy Friday, District 5! Today, March 8, 2024, is International Women’s Day! This holiday within March, Women’s History Month, is a celebration of women’s achievements that aims to raise awareness about discrimination and inspire action towards gender equality. This year’s theme is Inspire Inclusion, reminding us that we all must work together to celebrate diversity and empowerment on this day, in this month, and all year long. More on upcoming Women’s History Month events below, but first, a few short updates.
Last weekend, the Long Beach Airport partnered with the Stramski Children’s Developmental Center at Miller’s Children’s Hospital to bring a unique experience to encourage neurodivergent children to “Take Flight Without Fear.” Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders were invited for a walk-through tour of LGB, as a kind of practice run of the sights, sounds, and experiences that come with traveling through an airport. My team and I were extremely proud to have been part of such an event to help increase access and opportunities for children who may be nervous about the unknowns of air travel. Thank you to all the hospital and airport staff and volunteers who made the event such a success!
Also last weekend, my team and I attended the Studebaker Road Complete Streets Project community meeting, to gather with neighbors and learn from our hardworking Public Works team about the much needed improvements planned for the Studebaker corridor. See below for a brief recap of the meeting and links to the informational materials presented.
To continue celebrating Women’s History Month, celebrate women authors! Tomorrow, March 9th, is the Literary Women Festival of Authors, highlighting the works of several contemporary women authors. Then on Sunday, March 10th, you can join the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library in the City Hall Chambers at 2pm for their author talk with Shelby Van Pelt on her book Remarkably Bright Creatures. After that, you can head to KUBO LB at 4pm for another multiple author group discussion on “Women Writers in Community.” See the flyers below for more details on these great female-centered author events.
More ways to engage with the community of CD5 this weekend include shopping at your local neighborhood markets, such as the Norse Village Market from 10am – 2pm, or Parkview Village’s Second Saturdays “Easter Bunny Hop & Shop” from 11am – 3pm, both this Saturday, March 9th. You can also stop by the “Creative Babe Festival Market” at LBX on either Saturday the 9th or Sunday the 10th, for two days of opportunities to support local vendors. Sunday, March 10th, is also “Almost St. Patrick’s Day” in Bixby Knolls! Start your St. Pat’s celebrations a week early with a ride on the free trolley and find deals at participating bars and restaurants. For an opportunity to give back to the broader community, we encourage all who are able to donate to do so via the Department of Health and Human Services' Donation Drive-Thru event tomorrow, March 9th. See the flyers below for more information about these and other upcoming events. Hope to see you out in the neighborhood!
Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, March 12th at 5pm 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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Long Beach Police Department
News & Events
Etch & Catch Event - March 9th
Protect your vehicle against possible theft! Stop by the Long Beach Health Department (2525 Grand Ave) for a free event hosted by the Long Beach Police Department to etch your license plate number onto your catalytic converter to help police track and recover your converter in the event it is stolen.
The event is free, but limited to 240 participants so be sure to RSVP! For questions, contact LBPDMediaRelations@longbeach.gov.
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Homelessness Emergency Declaration
City Continues Offering Charitable Giving Opportunities to Support People Experiencing Homelessness
As part of the City of Long Beach’s ongoing commitment to support people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) will host a donation drive thru on Saturday, March 9, 2024, to collect essential items to distribute to people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach.
The drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Department’s Main Facilities Center (2525 Grand Ave.). Donations received will be distributed at the Multi-Service Center (MSC) and will also be available to local partner organizations to distribute. For this quarter’s donation drive, the City kindly requests items from the following list:
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Hygiene kits or house-warming gift kits from the Multi-Service Center Amazon Wish List.
- Backpacks filled with items such as hand warmers, flashlights, battery packs, batteries (usually D batteries), emergency blankets and charging cables.
- Pet care kits with things like pet food, treats, collars, leashes, pet toys or collapsible pet bowls.
- S, M, L, XL or XXL sweatpants, shirts, socks and men’s and women’s underwear, beanies, scarves, caps, hoodies, towels or blankets. Gently used items are appreciated, too.
- Welcome home kits with some of the suggested items above and a special hand-written motivating message to go in the kit.
- Food items like canned food (and small, manual can openers), bottled drinks like juices or water, and snacks such as granola bars or power bars, instant oatmeal and instant soup.
While gift cards will not be accepted at the drive-thru event, they can be donated at the MSC. To schedule a drop-off time, people can call 562.570.4586.
Donation Drop-Off Bins remain available at a variety of locations citywide and are a quick and easy way to donate essential physical items that can make an impact on someone’s daily life. Bins are located at all open Long Beach Public Library locations during regular business hours, as well as at the below locations:
- Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach (3635 Long Beach Blvd.), Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Scherer Park Community Center, (4654 Pasadena Ave.), Monday through Friday 3 to 6 p.m.
Click here for more information.
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Public Works Department
News & Events
Repainting Curbs & Crosswalks on Atlantic Ave
This week and next, the Public Works Department will be repainting curbs and crosswalks up and down Atlantic, a much-needed refresh! They expect the work continue over the following 90 days, but note, any inclement weather may cause delays. Please be aware, this work may impact traffic and/or parking; take note of any posted signs and work zones. Stay tuned for updates!
Community Meeting Recap: Studebaker Rd Improvements
On Saturday, March 2nd, the Public Works Department hosted an in-person community meeting to provide an overview of the Studebaker Road Complete Streets Project.
A huge thanks to the Public Works team for their hard work on this project thus far, and for providing an informative presentation and answering many community member questions. I also want to thank all residents who were in attendance; your contributions and feedback will assist the Public Works team as they move forward with their project plans.
For those who missed it, the presentation of the project overview can be found here, and the renderings and projections for several example locations along Studebaker can be found here. As found in these documents, the project will implement major street improvements along the approximate 5-mile corridor between 2nd Street and Carson Street. Improvements include multi-modal enhancements such as upgraded traffic signals, fiber optic communication, pavement resurfacing and repair, ADA compliant paths of travel, protected intersection treatments, curb-protected bikeways, street beautification, and new landscaping elements.
As more information and updates around this project continue to arise, we will keep the community informed via this newsletter. In the meantime, for more information, visit the project webpage, sign up to receive email updates, or email contactLBPW@longbeach.gov with the subject line “Studebaker Corridor Project."
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Long Beach Sustainability
News & Updates
Tree Planting on Atlantic Ave
Thanks to Long Beach's Office of Sustainability, in partnership with our friends at the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, Atlantic Ave will be getting new trees to fill the empty tree wells along the business corridor. The types of trees include Evergreen Pear, Pink Trumpet, and Crape Myrtle. This project will improve the visual appeal of the street, and may help contribute to calming traffic while encouraging safer driving. The Conservation Corps plans to begin planting on Monday, March 4th. Please be aware, this work may impact traffic and/or parking; take note of any posted signs and work zones. Stay tuned for updates!
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Parks, Recreation & Marine
News & Updates
Spring 2024 RecConnect Classes for All Ages
Registration opened February 5th for Parks, Recreation & Marine's Recreation Connection classes offered from March through May 2024.
Classes will be offered for ages preschool to 50 years and older, and include a variety of physical, intellectual, and fun interests. From cooking to dance classes to sports leagues and more, there's something for everyone! Click here to view the class catalog or visit lbparks.org to learn more.
Somerset Park Landscaping Improvements
Last weekend, the Parks, Recreation & Marine Grounds Team headed over to Somerset Park to improve some of the landscaping along the southern side of the park. See our before and after photos below! Thanks to the team for all your hard work improving our parks!
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Port of Long Beach
News & Updates
Engineering Fair & Other Job Opportunities at the Port
The Port of Long Beach will host an “Engineering Open House” for engineering professionals and students to find out more about staff career positions offered at the nation’s second-busiest port on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Opportunities exist in the Port’s Program Management, Construction Management, Design and Project Controls engineering divisions. Guests at the Engineering Open House will be able to speak with Port engineers and human resources professionals about joining the POLB team. Opportunities will be available to apply for certain positions at the event.
The Open House will be held at the Port of Long Beach Administration building, 415 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 90802 in the Long Beach Civic Center. Attendees must RSVP here.
The Port is hiring more than just engineers! Click here to learn more about other types of job opportunities with the Port of Long Beach.
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Long Beach Recycles
News & Updates
Become a Recycling Ambassador
If you are a Long Beach resident 18 years or older, apply to join our Compost and Recycling Ambassador Program! Registration for the program opened on 2/12/24. Offered at no cost, you’ll learn about waste reduction, recycling, and composting through lectures and hands-on experiences over the course of 8 weeks.
The Spring session begins 03/21 from 9 am-12 pm and meets weekly every Thursday for 8 weeks, until 5/1. The course takes place in-person at the Environmental Services Bureau located at 2929 E Willow St. Long Beach, CA 90806.
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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 one of the OPC and SFEI’s upcoming virtual public meetings. These statewide and regionally focused public meetings present an overview of the project and gather feedback at the early stages of this project. Click the dates below to register.
- Statewide: March 19, 2024 | 5pm – 7pm
- Statewide: March 20, 2024 |11am – 1pm
- 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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Long Beach Hosts State Conference on Affordable Housing and Homelessness
Mayor Rex Richardson and the Long Beach Community Development Department helped welcome housing leaders and more than 2,100 attendees from across the state to Housing California’s 2024 conference on housing and homelessness, taking place this week at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.
The three-day event presented by the Sacramento-based nonprofit organization, Housing California, is the largest homelessness and affordable housing conference in the country.
LEARN MORE...
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City of Long Beach Now Accepting Nominations for Veterans Banner Program
The City of Long Beach is accepting nominations for the first-ever Long Beach Honors Veterans banner program. The Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Veterans Support and the Long Beach Veterans Commission will oversee the administration of up to 25 banners to be displayed across the city for one year beginning in May 2024.
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. To be eligible, the nominated veteran must meet one of the following criteria...
LEARN MORE...
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City of Long Beach to Host Sidewalk Vending Community Webinar March 15
The City of Long Beach is hosting a community webinar to provide education and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs, existing vendors and community stakeholders interested in learning more about the City’s new sidewalk vending ordinance and recently-launched Sidewalk to Success program and other supportive services.
The webinar will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 15.
The meeting will take place via Zoom (passcode 114665) and include a presentation followed by Q&A. Interpretation services in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog will be available during the meeting.
LEARN MORE...
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City Recognized for Environmentally Conscious and Innovative Fleet Maintenance Practices and Facilities
The City of Long Beach has once again been recognized for its industry-leading environmental best practices, as it was recently awarded second place in the 2023 Green Garage Awards by the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA).
The award recognizes the most progressive and environmentally committed and innovative vehicle fleet maintenance garages in the nation and acknowledges environmentally friendly fleets that prioritize sustainability and lower carbon footprints throughout their operations.
LEARN MORE...
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. March 12, 2024, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
FULL AGENDA
Item 6 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $4,000, offset by the Fifth Council District One-Time Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution of:
• $500 to Cal Heights Neighborhood Association in support of their 100th Anniversary Home Touring Program;
• $1,000 to Partners of Parks in contribution to their annual Sowing the Seeds Fundraiser and to support their ongoing mission;
• $1,000 to Able ARTS Work in contribution to their Community Open House and support their ongoing mission;
• $1,250 to Better Learning for All Students Today (BLAST) in contribution to their Breakfast BLAST and support their ongoing mission;
• $250 to Love Beyond Limits in contribution to their Juneteenth Celebration and support their ongoing mission; and
Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $4,000, to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department. (Item Details)
Item 37 Recommendation to adopt the Long Beach Airport Title VI Plan in accordance with Department of Transportation Order 1000.12C, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (PL 100.259), Section 520 of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, and related authorities, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration for projects funded by the United States Department of Transportation – Federal Aviation Administration. (Item Details)
Item 47 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35430 with All American Asphalt, of Corona, CA, for as-needed local street improvements, to increase the contract amount by $30,000,000, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $97,000,000. (Item Details)
Item 50 Recommendation to adopt Plans and Specifications No. R-7206 and award a contract to AMG & Associates, Inc., of Santa Clarita, CA, for the Long Beach Replacement Fire Station 9 Project, in an amount of $17,669,000, authorize a ten percent contingency in the amount of $1,766,900, for a total contract amount not to exceed $19,435,900; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary amendments; and Increase appropriation in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $22,00,000, offset by funds future bond proceeds. (Item Details)
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