1_LBBJ_August19_SectionA_LBBJ MASTER LAYOUT 8/18/14 9:34 AM Page 6
NEWSWATCH 6 Long Beach Business Journal
City Hall News In Brief (Continued From Page 5)
Development (HUD) to expend community development block grant funds as part of a five-year consolidated plan. The action plan for FY13-FY14 identified commercial corridor revitalization as a primary focus. The Long Beach Department of Development Services (DDS) identified the southeast corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Anaheim Street as one of the areas that meets program criteria. Four occupied commercial buildings located adjacent to the MTA Blue Line Anaheim Street Station are scheduled to be renovated. Participating property owners have executed owner participation agreements and have provided assurances to the city that they will maintain the improvements. Prior to voting, Councilmember Gonzalez thanked DDS for its work on the project. “This has been a long time coming and it’s going to be a great beautification project for the area,” Gonzalez said. Council member O’Donnell was absent for the vote. Taser Equipment – By a vote of 8-0, the council authorized City Manager West to execute contracts with ProForce Marketing Inc. of Prescott, Arizona, TASER International of Scottsdale, Arizona, and leasing partner Municipal Asset Management of Golden, Colorado, for the purchase of Taser equipment. The amount of the contracts is not to exceed $1,500,000 for a period of five years. The vote also authorized the city manager to enter into a related contract with TASER and its leasing partner for a total amount not to exceed $1,047,721. According to a police memo, the department’s current Taser equipment and accessories were purchased in 2004 and are in need of replacement. After School Program – At its July 5 meeting the council voted 9-0 to authorize the city manager to enter into agreements with the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) for the operation of the After School Education and Safety Program. The program, which takes place at eight of the district’s K-8 schools, provides afterschool literacy, tutoring and artistic activities. LBUSD allocated $1,386,192 in grant funding to the city, which is used to provide staffing, supervision and supplies for the program. The grant agreement requires a 15 percent “inkind” match funding totaling $207,929. A portion of this ($102,902) comes from community development block grant funding; the remainder ($105,027) comes from the department of parks, recreation and marine’s general fund. ■
Civic Center Proposal (Continued From Page 5)
Deputy City Manager Tom Modica said more consideration was required and the report had been postponed. “Both submittals are incredibly complex,” he said at the time. “Staff is reviewing each administrative and financial component in detail.” A seismic study conducted in 2006 concluded that a large earthquake could lead to the collapse of the current 14-story city hall building, which was built in the mid-1970s. In February, then 5th District Councilmember Gerrie Schipske criticized city staff for not issuing a request for qualifi-
August 19-September 1, 2014
Long Beach Budget Discussions Continue ■ By BRANDON FERGUSON Staff Writer As the mid-September deadline to approve the fiscal year 2015 (FY15) budget approaches, the city council continues to hear presentations from various department heads sharing details of next year’s proposed expenditures. Last week, both the city’s police and fire chiefs gave breakdowns of their proposed budgets and discussed officer staffing levels as well as the fire department’s controversial Rapid Medic Deployment (RMD) program. On August 5, the council heard from library services, code enforcement, and the department of parks, recreation and marine. The proposed price tag for next year’s police services is $208,935,992, which includes funding for 806 sworn personnel – three more than the previous year. The budget called for $181,500 for helicopter fuel and vehicle replacement. Funding from Proposition H is expected to increase the number of police academy recruits as well as provide a one-time $400,000 investment to refurbish Schroeder Hall, a former Army reserve base that will serve as the headquarters for the department’s east division. City Manager Pat West also proposed allotting $2.2 million for police overtime and high priority needs. Police Chief Jim McDonnell explained that next year, the department plans to restructure its investigations bureau by transferring juvenile investigators to increase the capabilities of homicide, burglary, computer crime and vice investigations. During the commenting period, Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal asked West how he arrived at the figure of $2.2 million. “That was more empirical data,” West said. “What has worked in the department over the past few years.” Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga expressed concerns about gang activity in his district and wondered how the department, which is currently staffed with 736 sworn officers (and is expected to lose officers through retirement), will increase its staffing level. “I don’t see you making advancements in personnel to reach that fully funded 806 (Please Continue To Next Page)
cations to see if retrofitting the center would be a viable option. At the time, a staff report said that, even with a retrofit, the building could become uninhabitable in the event of a medium- to large-sized earthquake. On September 23, the two developers are expected to give presentations to the city council on their individual proposals. “They’ll have their models that will be available as well,” West said. Before a final vote on the project, there will also be time for public comment on the matter, West explained. “We want to make sure that when we take this to the council and the community, all our ducks are in a row,” he said. ■