Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin hosted the community meeting, which also featured representatives from the City’s various departments, including police, fire, public works, the airport and parks and recreation.
The overview was one of nine scheduled in each of the city’s districts leading up to the city council’s adoption of the proposed budget. By city charter, the council has until Sept. 15 to approve a budget.
Before relinquishing the podium to other officials Monday evening, Austin mentioned ways that the proposed budget will benefit the 8th District in particular, including replacing the playground at Los Cerritos Park at an estimated cost of $700,000 and improvements to Fire Station 9 ($125,000), the Expo building ($200,000), the Dana Branch Library ($103,000), Rancho Los Cerritos ($500,000) and Jackson Park ($50,000).
Other “strategic investments” directly affecting the 8th District that City Manager Patrick West has recommended include: the Be SAFE program, which provides structured activities for youth during the summer at parks in and outside the 8th District ($176,385); and continued funding of Sunday library hours at three branches, including the new Michelle Obama Library ($203,000).
Some approved capital-improvement undertakings in the district that are expected to be initiated, continued or completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2017 include rehabilitation of or enhancement to a number of projects. Three of those fall under the umbrella of Parks and Recreation.
Oregon Park, at 4951 Oregon Ave., is currently in the design phase with a private developer, but no cost has been associated with the project within the budget proposal. Regulatory approval is pending on a design for the Sleepy Hollow Greenbelt, which stretches from 47th Place and Pacific Avenue to Rio Avenue; the associated cost is identified as $130,000. Construction on the Deforest Wetlands is estimated to be completed in fall of 2017 at a cost of $7,500,000.
Street rehabilitation on Orange Avenue between 52nd Street and 64th Street is expected to be finished this winter, with a cost of $2,400,000. Construction on the new north branch library— the Michelle Obama Library— is estimated to be done this fall, at a cost of $13,800,000.
The design has been completed and construction is set to begin in summer of 2017 on the Daisy Avenue Bike Boulevard, at a cost of $5,700,000. Additionally, bicycle system gap closure and improved access to the LA River bike path is expected to be completed this fall, at a cost of $1,350,000.
“This is one of the better budget proposals in several years,” Austin said during his introduction, in which he spoke of voters’ approval of Measures A and B to to help address the city’s infrastructure needs and regenerate public-safety agencies through a sales-tax increase. “This is now my fifth budget as a city councilmember, and it is probably one of the best. The toughest decision before the city council is what to restore as opposed to what to cut, and that’s a good signal for the residents… particularly for infrastructure repairs and public safety in our city. So, again, I want to thank the voters for affording us that latitude and confidence in our city to be able to make those tough decisions on their behalf.”
The councilmember mentioned that he had recently been appointed to the Budget Oversight Committee and is one of three councilmembers serving on that body, for which 5th District Councilmember Stacy Mungo is chair and 3rd District Councilmember Suzie Price is vice chair.
“Will this budget— proposed FY 17 budget— fix everything? No way,” Austin said. “Is it going to make our city a perfect city? I don’t think so. It’s going to make our city a better city, and we’re going to be able to address a lot of needs that have needed to be addressed for some time.”
Tom Modica, assistant city manager, said the budget proposal is not one without reductions. “But, for the most part, we’re really excited with Measure A, to be able to invest in public safety and invest in infrastructure,” he said. “So, you’re going to see about $27 million of an improvement above and beyond what we normally spend into our infrastructure.”
Lea Eriksen, assistant director of Finance, then explained what the general fund covers. Using a dollar bill as an example, Eriksen said the general-fund is broken down as follows: 48.7 ¢ for salaries; 14 ¢ for pensions; 16.7 ¢ for other employee costs; 10.2 ¢ for equipment and maintenance; 5.5 ¢ for contracts and services; 2 ¢ for utilities; 1.4 ¢ for materials and supplies; 1.4 ¢ for other costs and transfers, and .1 ¢ for debt service.
When it was his chance to speak about the budget, Police Chief Robert Luna said he is as excited about it as he has been in many years.
“This is the first time in eight years that we’re actually adding staff to our department, which is great news,” Luna said. “For many years in the past, we have had to dismantle— in a sense— the police department, as many other departments have in the city. Last year, we were budget-neutral for the first time, which was exciting, but adding people is even more exciting. So, I’m really happy that, at least in the proposed budget, we are adding eight new sworn full-time equivalents and two civilian full-time equivalents.”
Fire hief Mike Duree spoke next, saying that, for a number of years, cuts to resources in his department have had a “tremendous impact on our system.” He explained that, because of Measure A funds, the engine for Fire Station 8 in Belmont Shore will be reinstated.
“But I want you to know that that has a positive impact on our service delivery throughout the entire city,” he said. “We have a systems approach here, so, by adding a resource anywhere in our city, it lessens the strain on remaining resources throughout the city.”
Marie Knight, director of Parks, Recreation & Marine, then discussed some of the services the 8th District has recently received. Those include the completion of the Paramount Boulevard median improvement project, Grace Park lighting improvements and maintenance of the Deforest Wetlands.
Other 8th District services, in 2015, included: 13,938 youth and teen program visits; 6,292 after-school participation days; 2,605 youth and adult participants in the Be SAFE program; 1,980 youth sports participants; 2,963 seasonal fun-day camp participants; 7,619 summer meals provided; and 12,150 attendees at five municipal band concerts at Los Cerritos Park.
Knight said that a problem her department is facing is the vast number of trees that are dying, primarily as a result of the drought and cutbacks to her department in recent years. She said, with the new budget, the parks and rec department will soon begin to address the issue of unhealthy trees in parks.
After the officials’ remarks, those in attendance were given the opportunity to ask questions and provide input on the budget proposal. Some of the comments mentioned regarded slurry-sealing streets, using the chopped park trees as lumber, homeless individuals living near private property and the importance of anti-gang units to address the homicide rate.
Those interested in participating in the City’s Budget Priority Survey may do so by visiting longbeach.gov/budgetsurvey.
