(Aug. 16, 2014) -- Six and at times seven Long Beach Councilmembers attended a six-hour "retreat" organized by Mayor Robert Garcia at LBCC on Saturday, Aug. 16. The event began at 9 a.m.; LBREPORT.com was present from shortly after 12:00 noon until the event's conclusion at about 2:40 p.m.

There were no completed voted actions but plenty of foreplay. Some Councilmembers (Price/3rd and Mungo/5th) voiced concerns about public safety. Others focused on infrastructure (Lowenthal/2nd) and economic development (Richardson/9th.) After Richardson opined that [paraphrase] the Council needed to face a need for what he called "new revenue" [euphemism for tax or fee increase], Vice Mayor Lowenthal said bluntly that she favors putting what she called a "bond" on the ballot for infrastructure to make what she called an "investment" for future generations. No Councilmembers publicly backed a debt bond [or tax-increase] ballot measure.

In the session on Council district priorities, Councilmembers Price and Mungo prominently cited public safety concerns among other district issues. Price said LB's current fire and police services are thin; Mungo cited residential burglaries. Both acknowledged budget challenges and urged creativity in meeting those challenges.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal and Councilman Richardson didn't mention police or fire levels. Richardson cited a number of aspects of economic development. Lowenthal described her district is a microcosm with aspects of all Council districts and urged her colleagues to support her priorities which focused on infrastructure. Lowenthal urged increased use of community watch and neighborhood involvement, saying police can't do everything.

Councilwoman Mungo said she favors a "culture of collaboration" which uses a "shared language of collaboration" in working together...which she said would be unlike previous Councilmembers whom she didn't name. A previous Council majority (that included Garcia, Lowenthal, Andrews and Austin) which refused to second a motion by Mungo's predecessor, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, to discuss measures enabling greater public and press access to communications by LB elected officials...an item no other Councilmember has since proposed.

Councilwoman Mungo said Councilmembers should view themselves as representing the entire city, not just their districts. Councilman Uranga, the eldest member of the Council, said he understands a "one for all, all for one" approach but said his district's constituents are his priority.

[LBREPORT.com comment/perspective: In the 1980s, LB voters changed the LB City Charter to replace LB's former citywide elected Councilmembers with district-elected Councilmembers. Supporters advocated this as a progressive reform to better advocate and protect the interests of residents from low-turnout areas of LB whose voices were numerically drowned out by citywide councilmembers elected from higher turn-out parts of the city.]

A session on "long range planning and goal setting" included a "hot air balloon visioning exercise" in which Councilmembers imagined themselves soaring above Long Beach ten years from now and, via several questions, asked them to describe what they'd like the city to look like.

Mayor Garcia recited many of the themes of his Mayoral campaign, including cleaner water (citing a now-pending, acknowledged uncertain feasibility study on possibly changing parts of the LB Breakwater), a more active downtown (as now-zoned high density projects are proposed and approved) and better utilization of the 2nd/PCH area. Garcia said he favors partnerships at various government levels, favors maximizing partnerships with LB's growing health care industry and said some of the best ideas come from outside City Hall. He added that Long Beach also needed a better sense of "place" with items including better city entrance signs.

Under LB's City Charter, LB's Mayor has no vote; a majority of LB's nine member district-elected Council decides matters ranging from budget priorities to policy matters, subject to a Mayoral veto that six Councilmembers can override. Five new Councilmembers (Gonzalez, Price, Mungo, Uranga and Richardson) took office on July 15.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal, and Councilmembers Gonzalez, Price, Mungo, Uranga and Richardson attended the retreat (we believe from start to finish.) Councilman Austin attended most of the event (start and finish). Vice Mayor Lowenthal left early at about 1:45 p.m. Councilmembers Dee Andrews and Patrick O'Donnell didn't attend.

The retreat was legally agendized (under the Brown open meetings Act) as a special Council meeting allowing the public to observe. During the period we were present (shortly after noon to conclusion about 2:40 p.m.) we saw roughly half a dozen members of the public, including NLB's Laurie Angel and 4th dist. resident Herlinda Chico. LBCC Trustee Doug Otto (a member of Mayor Garcia's transition team and inaugural event MC) was present taking copious notes.

Senior city management attended including City Manager West, LBPD Chief McDonnell, LBFD Chief DuRee, Parks & Rec Director Chapjian, Oil & Gas Dir.Garner, Development Services Director Bodek, Acting Airport Director Harrison, City Attorney Parkin and Ass't City Attorney Mais along with Mayoral staff and some Council office staffers.

Officials received box lunches with a sandwich from Grounds.)

Audio in LBCC meeting room T-1200 is adequate for live audiences but poor for ambient sound recording, A crew from LBTV3 video recorded the proceedings (offered a line-level miked feed.) The City Clerk says the retreat video will be uploaded onto the city's website within a few days.

Further as newsworthy on LBREPORT.com.