Signal Tribune Newspaper

By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer

Long Beach’s $38 million General Fund budget shortfall and an ongoing proposal to install electronic billboards on three freeways headed up the discussion at 8th District City Councilwoman Rae Gabelich’s “Community Coffee” last Saturday morning. But several other issues also led to lively discussions.
The “coffees” are informal public meetings conducted by Gabelich to inform her constituents on what the city government is doing and to allow them to voice their concerns on issues that are important to them. About 35 people attended the Saturday meeting, which took place in Avila’s El Ranchito Restaurant, 5345 Long Beach Blvd.
“As you may have read, the city council is currently working on adopting our budget for the next fiscal year,” Gabelich told the attendees. “We have until September 15, this Tuesday, to pass the budget.”
Gabelich encouraged the audience members to attend the Tuesday budget hearing to express their views on city expenditures. She noted that a week earlier the council had agreed to lessen the amount being reduced from the budget of Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). “It was important to me to restore some of the proposed cuts to our police department, including the Juvenile Car Program, youth services enforcement, and the night vice detectives,” she said. “We also restored money for the fire department, Rancho Los Cerritos, parks and recreation programs and the homework helper plan at the library.”
After Gabelich’s comments on the budget, several residents expressed their views. One man insisted that the real problem is the exorbitant pension plans the city is providing to its retiring employees. Gabelich agreed that it is indeed a major factor in the city’s budget woes. She explained that while future retirement plans will not be so generous, state law prohibited the city from reducing pension plans agreed to in contracts years ago.
Gabelich noted that at a recent budget hearing the council nixed a last-minute proposal for the city to again consider the adding of new electronic billboards along the 405, 710 and 91 freeways. The billboards would provide much needed revenue for the city, but most residents in the vicinity of proposed billboard sites are opposed to them. Community activists claim the signs would produce blight and light pollution, which would negatively impact the quality of life and property values in the surrounding areas.
“Speaking of digital billboards, Cabe Toyota, located on Long Beach Boulevard south of the 405 Freeway, wants to put an 80-foot-tall billboard next to the freeway, near Long Beach Boulevard and Wardlow,” Gabelich said. She explained that the dealership proposes to install the sign next to one of its offices. The Long Beach Planning Commission was scheduled to consider the proposal Thursday, September 17. “It is important for the commission to hear from residents in the area on what you think about having this in your neighborhood,” Gabelich said.
A lively discussion followed Gabelich’s comments. No one spoke in favor of the electronic billboards. One man suggested that the city council pass a law that would ban them anywhere within city limits.
Gabelich then invited interested residents to attend the next meeting of the city council’s Economic Development and Finance Committee, which she chairs. She noted that the committee will be considering two significant issues. “One is the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives in our city and how the city can regulate them,” she said. “The other is a proposed equal benefits ordinance, which would require any company doing business with the city that provides health insurance or other benefits to spouses of their employees must also provide those benefits to registered domestic partners of those employees.” The committee meeting will begin at 4:30pm on Monday, Sept. 21 in the council chambers of Long Beach City Hall.
Next, Gabelich discussed the problem of oversized truck parking and the city ordinance that prohibits it on residential streets. “We have asked parking enforcement to start enforcing it in our neighborhoods,” Gabelich said. “We will be distributing a postcard in our neighborhoods beforehand to remind people that these vehicles cannot be parked on residential streets.” She noted that the temporary parking of delivery and service trucks is allowed under the ordinance.
Toward the end of the meeting, Gabelich discussed some ongoing redevelopment projects in the area. She said she is frustrated by the slow progress on the planned street and sidewalk improvements on Long Beach Boulevard north of Del Amo Boulevard. She explained that the cost of the project, funded by the RDA, turned out to be higher than anticipated. “On top of that, the Redevelopment Agency has seen a drop in income because of the decline of property values,” Gabelich said. “And the state is taking $36 million over the next couple of years from our Redevelopment Agency, further limiting the available resources.”
After Gabelich’s presentation, José Martinez, a neighborhood watch captain, told the councilwoman that local residents are concerned about the lack of police response to their repeated calls on problems ranging from loitering to drugs to public drinking. LBPD Lt. Dan Pratt, who was also at the meeting, said the police do their best to respond to such calls, but must give higher priority to violent crimes and incomplete 9-1-1 calls.
Martinez also said that residents are not happy with El Ranchito employees parking on neighborhood streets. Gabelich said the RDA recently purchased the property immediately south of the restaurant, and it will be used to provide additional parking for the area in the near future.
During the last few minutes of the meeting, residents also asked Gabelich and Pratt for help with graffiti abatement, barking dogs, and loud car stereos.