Weekly Update & More This May | |
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Happy Friday, District 5! May marks the celebration of Older Americans Month and Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month! These annual recognitions celebrate groups of hardworking Americans and the contributions they have made to our country. Older Americans have dedicated their lives to making our nation stronger and creating possibilities for future generations. Check out a whole slew of events with the Parks, Recreation & Marine Department throughout the month!
The celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States broadly encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia and Polynesia. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese people to the US on May 7, 1843, and the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. You can celebrate this weekend by listening and learning from those with stories and experiences to share, at the free Festival of AAPI Books (FAB) this Saturday, May 4th, at the Michelle Obama Library. See below for more information.
I’d also like to wish all who may celebrate it a happy Cinco de Mayo this weekend! You can begin celebrating tonight at Bixby Knolls’ First Friday, then attend tomorrow’s free citywide Mariachi Festival, and continue through the weekend at LBX’s 2-day Market on both Saturday and Sunday from 12pm – 4pm. However you choose to celebrate, please be sure to do so responsibly and safely!
More ways to engage with community this weekend include a 3 Mile Fun Run with the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association, or Rancho Los Cerritos’ next Artist Workshop, both on Saturday, May 4th. Also, on the 4th, you can stop by McBride High for their third annual Car Show and help them fundraise by attending the Play for Change Casino Night.
On Saturday, you can also choose to join the monthly community clean up at El Dorado Park Nature Center, or plan ahead to join next week’s Second Saturdays Clean Streets team. For more details on these and other volunteer cleanup events this month, check out the citywide Spring Cleaning calendar!
Looking ahead, keep in mind some major community events in the coming weeks. The Cal Heights Home & Garden Tour is on Sunday, May 19th, where you can visit the historic neighborhood as they celebrate 100 years. Sunday, May 19th, is also Long Beach Pride! Join the citywide parade and festival to celebrate and stand together in the pursuit of an even more diverse and inclusive community.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, May 7th 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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Parks, Recreation & Marine
News & Updates
May Is Older Americans Month!
This May, Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine will celebrate Older Americans Month, recognized nationally each May, by offering a wide variety of free activities throughout the city for adults ages 50 and above. The activities include arts and crafts, basketball, swimming, field trips, enrichment activities, a dinner and dance, job fairs, and a talent show. Call 562-570-3150 for more information.
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Go Active LB
News & Updates
Celebrate Bike Month 2024!
Join us this May for Bike Month 2024 and explore various events planned to promote biking in Long Beach. Every year, communities across the United States celebrate Bike Month as an opportunity to showcase the benefits of bicycling and to encourage more people to incorporate bicycling into their daily lives. Both the City and communities in Long Beach are hosting biking related events throughout the month of May. Attend any event below or show us how you ride your way by taking the Bike Month Challenge this year for a chance to get a commemorative Bike Month May 2024 embroidered patch or vinyl sticker! If you don’t have your own bike, the Long Beach Bike Share program has bicycles to rent out throughout the City.
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Long Beach Utilities
News & Updates
Notification of 24-Hour Drilling Activity at El Dorado Park
Next week, 24-hour work will begin for the drilling of a new municipal water well in El Dorado Park, east of the San Gabriel River and south of the Long Beach Towne Center. The contractor for the Long Beach Utilities Department will be conducting 24-hour continuous drilling activity from Tuesday, 5/7/24, through Saturday, 5/18/24. After this work is completed, construction will resume during normal working hours (7am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday excluding holidays).
During the drilling operations, expect some noise due to the contractor using machinery and pipe connections to bore the hole for the water well. The site will be set up with sound barriers to reduce the noise levels, and the onsite inspector will work diligently to monitor the noise levels during the night.
Project Contact Information:
- Russell Kyle | Construction Manager| KYLE Groundwater, Inc.
(626) 379 7569
- Connor Harmon | Project Manager | Best Drilling & Pump, Inc.
(951) 529 0526
- Carolina Avendano | Capital Projects Coordinator | LB Utilities Department
(562) 570 2334
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Public Works Department
News & Updates
Fire Station 9 Construction to Begin in May
The City’s contractor is scheduled to begin the construction of a new Fire Station 9 facility at 4101 Long Beach Blvd., in May 2024. The construction completion date for the project, barring weather or other unforeseen delays, is December 2025. Stay tuned for more precise details regarding the construction timeline as it becomes available. The improvements will include:
• The construction of a new 12,779 square foot, two-story fire station.
• The installation of Traffic Signals at the Long Beach Blvd. and Randolph Place intersection.
• Improvements to the section of the alley, located on the northern side of the site.
• Improvements to the section of E Randolph place, located on the southern side of the site.
• The sidewalks along the Long Beach Blvd. and E. Randolph Place frontages will be replaced and new landscaping provided.
The contractor is scheduled to perform work Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Parking impacts for residents will be limited to the limits of the construction improvements along the frontages of the site. Efforts will be made to minimize inconveniences as a result of construction activities. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation throughout this project. For more information, please visit https://www.longbeach.gov/fs9project, e-mail dmacmahon@hwlochner.com, or call (310) 525-0681.
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Economic Development
News & Updates
Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover & Grant Program
The Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover & Grant program is a new program designed to propel small businesses towards success and sustainability. This initiative offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to connect with essential business support resources and undergo comprehensive workshops aimed at crafting new business and marketing plans. The program will assist 25 small business owners with support services, workshops, and $10,000 in grant funding to take their small business to the next level.
Applications are available now until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. For more information about program eligibility requirements, visit longbeach.gov/levelup. Additionally, find out more about the Inclusive Business Navigators program at longbeach.gov/biznavigators, or receive assistance and information about these programs through the City's BizCare Hotline at (562) 570 4249 or 4Biz@longbeach.gov.
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Technology & Innovation
News & Updates
Community Survey & Workshops: TID 26 Strategic Plan
Long Beach is pleased to announce the release of a community survey and workshops as part of our efforts to develop the Technology & Innovation Department’s (TID) short-term information technology strategic plan, TID 26, to have in place by the end of 2026 to achieve the City's 2030 Strategic Vision.
TID 26 aims to build and protect our communities' trust in the City, provide the City with data for technology service improvement, and improve equitable access to technology for Long Beach's diverse communities.
We value your feedback and want to hear from you! Complete the TID 26 survey before May 17th. See the flyer below for more information.
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City of Long Beach Launches Sensory Area for Everyone Vehicle
The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department), in partnership with KultureCity, has launched a new mobile sensory service, the Sensory Area for Everyone (S.A.F.E.) vehicle. This new resource, which is the first City vehicle of its kind, will serve as a sensory relief room for community members who may seek immediate comfort in high-stress or noisy environments, such as community events or emergency situations. The vehicle made its debut at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19-21, where it welcomed over 2,200 visitors seeking sensory relief and education about this new resource.
LEARN MORE...
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Official City of Long Beach Statement in Response to Local Tuberculosis Outbreak; Risk to Population at Large Remains Low
May 2, 2024, City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis declared a local public health emergency to strengthen the City’s preparedness and ability to respond to a localized tuberculosis (TB) outbreak. This declaration will be considered for ratification by the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday, May 7.
The outbreak is currently isolated to a distinct population and the risk to the general public is low. The population at risk in this outbreak has significant barriers to care including homelessness and housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use and serious medical comorbidities.
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine to Offer a Variety of Recreation Classes this Summer
Registration for new and existing recreation classes offered by the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) begins Monday, May 6. Summer is quickly approaching and PRM is offering over 700 activities taking place throughout the city and catering to all ages. From preschool to adults ages 50+, residents can enjoy classes in art, music, nature, fitness, special interest subjects, adult sports leagues, aquatics and more all summer long.
LEARN MORE...
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Community Invited to Participate in Reimagining Long Beach's Downtown & Shoreline Areas
The City of Long Beach is hosting an open house event to provide an additional opportunity for the community to get involved and offer input on a significant planning effort that will guide future development of the city’s Downtown Plan area. Residents and businesses are also encouraged to participate in an online survey to provide feedback on a related initiative aimed at reimagining the city’s shoreline area.
Presented by the Community Development Department, the event and survey build on various engagement and outreach efforts led by the City over the past year to update development regulations and establish a common vision and supportive land use strategies for the future of the Downtown Plan and shoreline areas.
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach's Frightfully Fun Halloween Spectacular, Dark Harbor, Returns to the Queen Mary this Fall
The City of Long Beach, in partnership with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group and Evolution Hospitality, announced today the return of Dark Harbor. The thrilling and immersive Halloween experience is set to return this fall onboard the Queen Mary and its adjacent vicinity after a nearly five-year hiatus.
LEARN MORE...
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. May 7, 2024, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Item 1 Recommendation to receive and file a report for Mayor Richardson and the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee’s travel to Sacramento, CA, on April 8, 2024, for meetings with state members and agencies. (Item Details)
Item 16 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the COVID-19 After Action Report. (Item Details)
Item 18 Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department and report back in 180 days on the feasibility of potential new sites for new skate parks in the City of Long Beach. The report should include the location, size, and approximate boundaries of each potential site, identify a preferred location, and provide a general overview of the rules and guidelines users are expected to follow. (Item Details)
Item 20 Recommendation to request Mayor to convene Charter Amendment Committee of the City Council on June 11, 2024, to discuss placing an amendment of City Charter Article XI (Civil Service Department) before the voters to combine Civil Service and Human Resources Departments into one unified hiring department to manage all employee recruitment, hiring, and classified employee certifications; and establish an independent Civil Service Employee Rights and Appeals Commission to resolve complaints regarding Civil Service rules, to adjudicate classified employee disciplinary appeal; and to implement classified hiring preferences for Long Beach residents, students from local colleges and universities, current employees, and certain internships/apprenticeships. (Item Details)
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