Before an estimated crowd of 1,700 people gathered at the Terrace Theater in downtown Long Beach, Garcia delivered a speech punctuated with humor as he stressed a hopeful outlook for the city by the sea.
“My friends,” Garcia declared to the audience, “I am proud to say that the state of our city is strong and getting stronger.”
The mayor touched on a number of topics Wednesday night.
Long Beach economy
Garcia said it was a good year for the Long Beach Port, crediting much of the growth in year-end retail business to a toy industry based on the Star Wars films.
The mayor said that the previous year was a “record year” for the Port of Long Beach, reporting a volume increase of 5.4 percent. The mayor described how toys from the blockbuster movie franchise were welcome cargo on the container ships which docked at the city’s port.
“We have to thank Luke, Leia and Darth Vader,” Garcia said to an amused audience, “and not because they used The Force to make it happen, but because those ships are full of Han Solo and BB-8 action figures.”
He emphasized the need to develop an economic plan for Long Beach and “to create more high-wage jobs for residents.” Garcia noted that the Economic Development Commission is expected to complete a report for the council before summer.
The mayor emphasized his support behind that commission’s recommendations for an increase of the minimum wage.
“No person should work 40 hours a week, or more, and not be able to provide for their family,” Garcia said, adding that the commission recommended to “increase the minimum wage to $13″ by the year 2019. The commission’s recommendations include provisions that some small businesses and nonprofits should be given an extra year to comply.
He also praised Long Beach’s “hands-off” attitude towards both taxicab and ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. He said that new policies now allow traditional cab companies “to be more competitive” while still supporting the new ride-sharing system.
Garcia noted the economic challenges for the City.
“We once again balanced the budget and even had a small surplus,” Garcia said. “Now, despite the fall in oil prices, which has drastically reduced our capital projects, the City moved forward responsibly.”
He emphasized the need to pay down the City’s pension liabilities.
The mayor reported that 46 out of 53 former redevelopment agency properties for sale are already in escrow, and he reminded the audience that last year, Garcia set a goal to build 4,000 new residential units over the next 10 years in the downtown area. He added that the City last year “preserved, created, or began construction” on more than 1,500 affordable-housing units.
Garcia received particular applause for the efforts to end veteran homeless. He said that the City tallied 309 homeless veterans in 2011 and that last year, that number dwindled to 100.
“Tonight,” Garcia told the audience, “I am pleased to announce that, working together, we have ended chronic homelessness for veterans in Long Beach!and in a few weeks, federal and state officials will come to Long Beach and announce that Long Beach is the first big city in California to meet this federal goal.”
Education accomplishments
Garcia stressed his priority to support the area schools and students, particularly highlighting the Long Beach College Promise, a program dedicated to expand educational goals through a partnership between the City, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), Long Beach City College (LBCC) and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). He particularly thanked LBCC for recently offering free tuition for a full year to LBUSD graduates who are in good standing.
He noted that the success of the College Promise program has earned recognition from the White House and $5 million from Gov. Jerry Brown’s office to support local students through the Long Beach College Promise funds.
The mayor stressed that within 18 months, internships have increased by over 50 percent. He said that more than 750 internships have been added to the 1,500 internships already available. Daniel Brezenoff, the mayor’s deputy chief of staff, confirmed Thursday that all of these internships are paid positions.
City revitalization and sustainability
Garcia also reported on new plans for construction around the Queen Mary. He said that a task force dedicated to its land development in the area “will help re-imagine the 40-plus acres” that surround the ship.
While the mayor did not explicitly mention the proposal by JetBlue Airways to build an international customs facility at the local airport, he did emphasize his full support behind protecting the Long Beach Airport’s unique noise ordinance.
Garcia asked for the city council to support dedicating “one percent” to the arts. Brezenoff confirmed in an email to the Signal Tribune how the “one percent” plan will work.
“’One percent’ refers to the value of a new development,” the mayor’s deputy chief of staff said. “In many cities, one percent of the value of new public developments goes to the arts. The council will have to decide the ultimate format of any new policy.”
Garcia reported on new industries that have cropped up in the airport area, including Virgin Galactic, Mercedes-Benz USA’s west coast headquarters and Shimadzu Precision Instruments. The mayor also noted that Long Beach received $4 million to “re-purpose the Boeing C-17 site and retrain workers so they can continue to contribute to our local economy.”
The mayor explained some of the efforts to continue to make the city sustainable, announcing the addition of 21 compressed natural gas buses and Long Beach Transit’s plan to also use electric buses. He also announced that the City will sign an agreement on the San Pedro Breakwater and Ecosystem Restoration Study with the US Army Corps of Engineers. The mayor explained that this study will determine whether the breakwater at Long Beach could be “reconfigured” without damage to businesses, homes or even the Port of Long Beach.
Garcia also noted that architect Frank Gehry will take a leadership role in the revitalization of the LA River area.
Challenges for Long Beach
Garcia touched on some of the challenges for the city. The power outages last summer were especially highlighted. Southern California Edison (SCE) took full responsibility for the problems, Garcia said, but he promised that he would “keep the heat on Edison,” as the City awaits the Public Utilities Commission’s final report.
He praised the police, noting particularly that the department’s response time is one of the best times for a large city. He also announced that he will request that the council make necessary changes to law-enforcement.
Garcia said that there used to be four divisions in the department back in 2012, but during the recession, the South and West Divisions had been combined. Garcia said he wants to restore the South Division as well as the staff positions that had been previously cut.
He asked the city council to restore Fire Station 8 and an engine in Belmont Shore.
Garcia acknowledged the recent report that the City has $2.8 billion in infrastructure needs, and he did note that the City has fallen behind in keeping up with the infrastructure needs, even though the City already spent over $60 million in the last year on sidewalks, streets and public buildings.
While the $2.8-billion figure may seem daunting, Garcia offered no ideas on how to begin to address the lack of sufficient money to address infrastructure needs Wednesday night.
“Now, if this Powerball ticket in my pocket pays off tonight, our problem is solved,” Garcia joked, “but just in case it doesn’t, we still need to find a way to address this huge challenge. If we want our streets and our public buildings to reflect our status as a world-class city, we must spend more [in] infrastructure repair and maintenance.”
In closing, Garcia appealed to the community spirit, as embodied by his friend Mary Zendejas, a disability-rights advocate and a mayoral appointee to the Long Beach Transit Board of Directors. Garcia said she is an example of a resident who strives to improve the city.
“There are many things,” the mayor concluded, “that make Long Beach great— our amazing coastline, our exciting neighborhoods, the opportunities for the arts, culture, and education— but what really defines us, what makes our city special, is our people. The people are what make Long Beach great!While there are challenges that we’re going to face, I know that together we will build a better Long Beach.”
