Although the two elected officials have different responsibilities, they both share one thing— an optimistic view of the future. Garcia was firm in his belief that Long Beach— with the passage of Measure A this past November, infrastructure and public-safety improvements and the creation of new jobs, among other things over the past year— is already a great city.
The mayor attempted to support his statement of Long Beach by inquiring about something he said has recently been on the mind of many American citizens: “What makes America so great?”
“I believe what makes our country great is not fear, not divisiveness or anger, but kindness, respect and love of country and constitution,” he said. “Let me be very clear— Long Beach is and will always be a city that values our differences and the diversity of our people.”
Measure A
Garcia said the passage of Measure A has allowed the City to plan on a $387-million investment of new revenue into public safety and infrastructure, the largest investment Long Beach has made in a generation, the mayor said.
The Long Beach City Council also recently adopted a $150-million plan set for the next three to four years to focus on streets, community facilities, storm-drain systems and public-safety projects. Garcia said infrastructure work in the city will begin this year.
Distributions of the plan include, but are not limited to: $91 million in street repairs; $15 million in sidewalk repairs; $5 million in alley improvements; $19 million in park improvements; $3.3 million in community facilities; nearly $3.7 million in library improvements; $5 million in neighborhood storm protection; and $6 million in public-safety facilities.
The mayor said there will still be an additional $50 million in Measure A revenue to allocate to public infrastructure.
The measure has also allowed the restoration of Fire Department Station 8 at Belmont Shore and the addition of new officers to re-establish the south division of the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) that patrols the downtown and central areas of the city, Garcia said, adding how this was the first time there had been an increase in the public-safety departments in more than 10 years.
The mayor also took the time to request to the city council to approve the restoration of Paramedic Rescue 12 for north Long Beach and to add nine new officers to staff an academy unit. Garcia said Paramedic 12 will bring increased response times, and the new police unit will improve training for officers.
Garcia said improving public safety also means placing priority on increasing security on the Metro Blue Line. The mayor said he was elected to the Metro board of directors, a countywide agency that governs the Metro rail and county bus systems, last week.
In February, Garcia aims to meet with the board of directors to convince them to contract LBPD officers to patrol the eight Metro stops in the city. If successful, Metro will pay for the addition of 30 officers on the Blue Line rail.
Crime
Garcia announced a reduction in violent crime last year after a slight increase in 2015. Homicides were reduced by 8.3 percent in 2016.
Economy
Garcia credited new businesses in Douglas Park and the uptown and downtown areas as examples of improving economic development in the city due to increased tourism.
Douglas Park in east Long Beach, for instance, is now the largest private commercial development in the city and will feature nearly 30 new businesses, including Nordstrom Rack and Whole Foods, Inc., and the addition of roughly 5,000 jobs, Garcia said.
The mayor added that 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highway development is expected to break ground later this year and will feature new retail and dining options. He also commended the addition of the Steelcraft food lot in Bixby Knolls on Long Beach Boulevard and Bixby Road as a thriving source of good business.
The Aquarium of the Pacific will break ground in February in an expansion effort for its exhibit space. The Queen Mary Task Force also has a plan for the 43 acres of land surrounding the ship, the mayor said.
More than 2,300 residential units have also been completed or approved for completion in the downtown area.
Unemployment entered a nine-year low in 2016 at 5.6 percent, down from 14.5 percent in 2009, Garcia said. He added that 9,000 jobs were created in 2016, and he acknowledged an increase in minimum wage, which took effect at the beginning of this year.
In an effort to continue efficient progress, Garcia said he has asked the City’s Economic Development Commission to create a 10-year blueprint, which will be presented to the Long Beach City Council in March to guide economic development efforts for the next decade.
Garcia detailed the expansion of civic technology, including BizPort, a business portal introduced last year that helps businesses develop their growth digitally. Garcia said DataLB, a new open data portal that allows access to City information, also launched this week.
Sustainability
Garcia announced that Long Beach Transit will utilize battery-powered electric buses this year, with an entire set of “clean” vehicles by 2020.
The Board of Harbor Commissioners authorized a $46.4-million mitigation program last year to lessen the impacts of port-related pollution, as well, Garcia said. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have both dedicated their efforts to introducing zero-emissions ships, equipment and harbor crafts, as reported by the Signal Tribune in November.
Garcia also said one of the City’s key initiatives is to replace all streetlights with energy-efficient LED lights. He said 9,200 streetlights have already been replaced, and the remaining 15,000 will be replaced by October.
City water usage in 2016 was also 24 percent less than the 10-year average, according to Garcia.
The City has secured a $30-million grant for the construction of a new municipal stormwater treatment facility, and it also aims to plant more than 6,000 trees and increase solar-power infrastructure.
The Army Corps of Engineers is also working with Long Beach to study the breakwater along the shore in an effort to restore the coastal ecosystem. The study began last January, and Garcia said the team will have a list of options on how to proceed with the breakwater by the end of this month.
Planning for the restoration of the Los Angeles River has also begun, the mayor said.
Housing
Home ownership in California is at its lowest since the 1940s, Garcia said. He added that one-third of residents pay more than 50 percent of their income toward rent.
Garcia said that housing and homelessness are both intertwined and complex. He said the City has created and preserved residential units this past year, but he admitted that it’s still a challenge to address the issue.
In February, City staff will be organizing a city council study session to address affordable housing.
Homelessness is still a widespread crisis, however, particularly with veterans. Garcia said Long Beach has addressed the problem by housing more than 640 veterans in the past two years.
The City plans to create a shelter gathering place next door to the Multi-Service Center in west Long Beach aimed at offering a secure place for homeless people later in the day after local shelters have closed.
“All of the research around this issue shows that immediate shelter and housing first is the first and most important step to permanent housing,” Garcia said. “The people on our streets— the men and women and children on our streets— they have names, and they deserve our respect and our care.”
Education
Mayor Garcia had high praise for the city’s education system. He highlighted Cal State Long Beach, which had 91,000 applications last fall, and former Long Beach City College Superintendent Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who became chancellor of the California Community Colleges at the end of last year.
He also commended the Long Beach College Promise program, which has served as a national model to ensure college admission for students.
Garcia detailed that internship spots have increased from 1,500 to 3,800, and 900 pre-school seats have been added.
Last week, the Mayor’s Fund for Education was launched to increase access to early childhood education.
“We are all on this journey together,” Garcia concluded. “ Let’s support each other. Let’s help our neighbors. Let’s help the poor in our community. And let’s lead with caring hearts and optimism about our future. I know all of us can work together to build an even better Long Beach.”
