(April 29, 2015) -- The Obama administration's Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has named eight additional communities, including Sacramento to join five other areas previously announced including Los Angeles, as federal "Promise Zones" to receive federal dollars directed to improve economic activity, expand educational resources and reduce violent crime...but the communities don't include the City of Long Beach.

HUD's newly designated Promise Zone communities are Sacramento, CA; Camden, NJ; Hartford, CT; Indianapolis, IN, Minneapolis, MN; St. Louis/St. Louis County, MO; Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, SD; South Carolina Low Country.

As of midday today (Aug. 29), Mayor Garcia's office hadn't issued any releases on the Obama administration's action, which was announced yesterday (Aug. 28).

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In his Jan. 13, 2015 "State of the City" message, Mayor Robert Garcia cited City Hall's Promise Zone application as a way to bring Central Long Beach greater prosperity and growth, "especially the neighborhoods west of Cherry, between Anaheim and PCH, all the way to the City's western boundary"...but acknowledged it was a numerical long-shot.

A HUD spokesperson told LBREPORT.com today (Aug. 29) that 123 communities had submitted applications in the second round of Promise Zone designations (from which HUD chose the eight new Promise Zone communities) and a third round of Promise Zone designations will be opened for applications later this year.

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In his Jan. 13, 2015 "State of the City message," Mayor Garcia stated in pertinent part:

In these [Central LB] neighborhoods, the poverty rate is more than 40%, and unemployment exceeds 16% -- twice the rate of the rest of the City. And the crime rate continues to be a major challenge in central Long Beach. This is unacceptable. The residents of central Long Beach need access to healthcare, education, and good jobs. That's why we are working closely with nonprofit organizations, including Building Healthy Communities, The California Endowment, Centro Cha, and many others.

One way we've done that is to apply for Promise Zone designation for central Long Beach. Promise Zone status is a Federal designation that could direct millions of federal dollars to improve economic activity, expand educational opportunities, and reduce violent crime. Only a small number of cities will be selected this year. But whether or not our application is successful, the process of applying for Promise Zone status has strengthened relationships between city departments and community groups. This will enhance our efforts to lift central Long Beach families out of poverty.

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In his January 2015 "State of the City" message, Mayor Garcia stated that "Long Beach is a safer city than it's been in two generations. Violent crime has dropped to its lowest level in more than 40 years. And progress in public safety can be seen in every neighborhood in Long Beach, including our downtown."

However as previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Councilwoman Suzie Price said at an April 17 meeting of the Council's Public Safety Committee she chairs that she sometimes had to "bite her tongue" on hearing statements at some City officials [whom she didn't name] that LB's crime levels are the lowest in years. Councilwoman Price said she thinks it's a fine statistic but [paraphrase] the message should also be that LBPD is doing this with a skeleton crew. She said repeating the message that crime is at the lowest level in decades leads to a reasonable inference that LB doesn't have to augment its LBPD budget or staffing because we've got the situation so under control. Price said LBPD staffing is down from where it should be, as so is LB's fire department and they need to be augmented [although she didn't say how.]

Committee Vice Chair Austin added that he believes many of the solutions "may require a conversation with our residents...with the voters, on how they want to see resources allocated, if they want to commit new resources to public safety." He said chair Price was "on point" in urging a message that shows the City has real public safety needs to maintain a level of service that the public needs and deserves.

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At the Committee meeting, LBFD Fire Chief Mike DuRee said he plans to propose to the full Council consideration of a "first responder fee," a sum in addition to any current ambulance fees. Chief DuRee said such a fee is being used by the cities of Anaheim, Sac'to, Glendale and Pasadena and some others. The LB Firefighters Association Local 372 stated in a letter to the Committee that it recommends that the Council consider forming a "fire district" (which can charge residents/businesses a fee for fire services) and also consider management consolidations.

Committee chair Price made a motion, seconded by vice-chair Austin (Committee member Mungo was absent), that at the Committee's next meeting "that there be an analysis or a review of some possible innovative options that each department can undertake or study in terms of finding more efficiencies in anticipation of the potential cuts that are coming."

Chair Price indicated her Committee's next meeting would be in roughly two months (June 2015.) City management is scheduled to provide the Mayor with a FY16 recommended budget by July 1, and the Mayor has until Aug. 1 to transmit it to the Council, with his recommendations, for Council majority discussion, possible changes and enactment by September 15.

Council elections are scheduled in Council districts 2, 4, 6 [Central LB] and 8 in April 2016.