August 27, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 35

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Signal Tribune Your Weekly Community Newspaper

VOL. XLIII NO. 35 SH COUNCIL

INSIDE: Long Beach looks to LA Board of Supervisors for direction on indoor vaccine mandates see page 2

Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill

Friday, August 27, 2021 LB BUDGET

LOCAL BUSINESS

Emma DiMaggio | Signal Tribune

Karen Reside, member of the Long Beach Grey Panthers, speaks during public comment on Tuesday, Aug. 24 calling upon the Long Beach City Council to support the People’s Budget.

Illustration by Emma DiMaggio | Signal Tribune

Signal Hill City Council approves 40% to 70% fee increases to cover organics recycling

LB adopts $3 billion budget that invests in youth, increases police funding amid calls for divestment

n A ita W. a H rris Senior Writer

After hearing only one protest during a public hearing, the Signal Hill City Council voted on Aug. 24 to approve waste rate increases of 40% to 70% to help pay for new organic waste recycling services. Signal Hill residents will start paying a 40% higher rate per month as of Oct. 14—going from $16.50 to $23.15 per month—and receive a 64-gallon green bin to dispose of food scraps and yard trimmings. Businesses will also see rate increases of about 40%, or about $71 per month, depending on the number of containers and collection frequency. Multifamily residential buildings, such as apartments, will see an even higher increase of more than 70%, or nearly $94 per month more, depending on the number of containers and collection frequency. Public Works Department Contracts Manager Thomas Bekele said multifamily residents can reduce fees by cooperatively using trash bins less. “Neighbors can work together to reduce the trash by diverting more trash to organics and therefore reducing the frequency of the service, which will reduce the overall cost,” he said. Steven South, president and CEO of EDCO, which collects waste for Signal Hill, said single-family residents using more than one trash bin can also save by switching instead to an additional recycling bin or additional organics bin, both of which EDCO provides for free. “Rates are still some of the lowest of surrounding cities,” Bekele said. see ORGANICS page 3

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Thunder Studios CEO Rodric David holds a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for live broadcasting that the studio received for coverage of the 2017 Rose Bowl Parade on Aug. 20, 2021.

Thunder Studios in Long Beach produces iconic content for celebrities, influencers and gamers

T

rK isten a F rrah Naeem Staff Writer

ucked away between warehouses in the west side of Long Beach is Thunder Studios, a production mecca for the entertainment and gaming industries. “No one knows that on any given day I’ve got Ariana Grande or Rihanna or Daft Punk or the Goo Goo Dolls or Katy Perry […],” CEO Rodric David said. “We’re not a direct-to-consumer business. We provide services to the entertainment industry.” During an average workday at Thunder Studios, a music video, brand commercial, and video game tournament can be in production simultaneously—destined for television, YouTube, Twitch

and a multitude of other streaming services. Among the most recent projects shot at Thunder Studios are the music videos for Lizzo and Cardi B’s new song “Rumors,” Ariana Grande’s song “God Is A Woman,” and SZA and Maroon 5’s “What Lovers Do.”

Studio space was former General Motors advertising lot

The lot for Thunder Studios was originally bought by David in 2013 from General Motors after the automotive company went bankrupt during the global financial crisis of 2008. The property was developed by General Motors 35 years ago as a site to create all the company’s North American advertising. Cars would be see THUNDER STUDIOS page 4

m E ma iD a M ig o a M naging d E itor

The Long Beach City Council approved its fiscal year 2022 budget on Tuesday, Aug 23—a $3 billion plan that sets spending priorities for the City’s first year emerging from the pandemic. Long Beach’s budget includes no deficits and replenishes reserves that were depleted during the COVID-19 health crisis—largely thanks to an infusion of over $250 million from state and federal recovery funds. Though the extra funds have allowed the City to eliminate its furloughs and bring back services that were previously reduced, the funds are temporary. During the next fiscal year, the City will have to address a $36 million deficit. “This budget is good for us today. But it might not be the budget that we’re gonna have to look at tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’re gonna have a heavy, difficult time, an imbalance in our budget, we’re gonna have a deficit that is going to be huge,” Councilmember Roberto Uranga said. “The challenges are yet to come.” Of the departments that benefited from increased funding was the Long Beach Police Department, whose budget is set to increase by $16 million. The police department, among most see LONG BEACH BUDGET page 6


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