The following items were voted on at the April 17 Long Beach City Council meeting:

 

Study Approved On Impact Of Sound From Downtown Events On Nearby Neighborhoods

Councilmembers approved a recommendation to request the city manager to study the impact of amplified sound from city-permitted outdoor events in Downtown Long Beach on nearby neighborhoods. According to 2nd District Councilmember Jeannine Pearce, “there were more events downtown last summer than ever before,” and said residents have complained. More than 160 residents signed a petition to amend the Long Beach Muncipal Health and Safety Code to address the noise levels. The study will measure the noise level at residential buildings next to the sites of outdoor special events. It also plans to explore options for sound regulation and review the citing procedures for noncompliance. The item requests the city manager to provide recommendations by November 1.

 

Agenda Item Pulled That Supported Reducing Crime And Keeping California Safe Act

Fifth District Councilmember Stacy Mungo removed an item she had placed on the agenda to support the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018. The ballot initiative attempts to address the “unintended consequences” of Propositions 47 (2014) and 57 (2016), which aimed to reduce the prison population, increase parole options and lower penalties for drug use. The item was pulled after members of community groups, such as the Long Beach Coalition for Safety and Justice, held a press conference to speak out against it.

Some of the provisions in the act include expanding the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option, reinstating DNA collection for certain crimes that were reduced to misdemeanors and classifying a third-time theft with a value of $250 as a felony. Some of these crimes include rape of an unconscious person, trafficking a child for sex and felony domestic violence. Prior to the passage of Propositions 47 and 57, offenders were not subject to early release.

 

Third District Councilmember Suzie Price, whose name was also attached to the item, said she thought there was “a lot of misinformation that would lead to a really inefficient council meeting.” In an e-mail to the Business Journal, Mungo stated that she would meet with those who have requested it to discuss their concerns. She also wrote that she was unsure if she would re-introduce the item, and that this would depend on the feedback. For her part, Price said, “If a petition qualifies with signatures and it gets on the ballot, I will definitely be bringing it back to council for a more robust discussion.” Price, a prosecutor, has held events to collect signatures in support of this petition.

 

Council Voted To Install Parking Meters On Ocean Boulevard And Olympic Plaza

Councilmembers voted to install parking meters on the south side of Ocean Boulevard between Termino Avenue and Bennett Avenue. The area accommodates 80 vehicles.

 

The parking meters will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for two hours, excluding holidays. Third District Councilmember Suzie Price made a motion to amend the item, reducing the rate from the standard of 75¢ per hour to 50¢ per hour for one year. The city would then conduct a study on the impact of the fee. She also recommended that a significant portion of the revenue go towards area beautification and clean-up projects.

 

Kurt Schneiter, owner of Olympix Fitness located at 4101 E. Olympic Plaza, expressed opposition during the public comment period. “This proposal does not address a parking issue as no resident has ever asked for this proposed change,” he said. “We have two hours parking and that creates plenty of turnover. . . . If it ain’t broken, why are we trying to fix it?” Schneiter added that, “Parking meters were established to help businesses, not create revenue.” Other speakers against the proposal said this would force drivers to park north of Ocean Boulevard in residential areas.

 

Price responded to the criticism with, “As unpopular as this statement will be, we don’t impose fees and taxes based on democracy, otherwise nobody would raise their hand to be charged for anything. . . . We’re talking about a commercial area. . . . We have these [parking meters] in every other part of the city.”