In a hotly contested April 2012 race, Councilman Austin prevailed over a candidate with strong LB establishment ties (including then-Mayor Bob Foster) when Austin had the support of organized labor and exiting two-term 8th district Councilwoman Rae Gabelich...the latter not listed among his endorsers at this point.
At this point, no candidates have surfaced publicly as challengers to Councilman Austin in the 8th Council district.
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The filing period in which candidates for Council districts, 2, 4, 6 and 8 must file nomination documents (including candidate statements, if any, for publication) opens on Dec. 21 and ends at 5 p.m. January 15.
Among other potential Council candidates in the 2016 election cycle:
In the 2nd Council district (where Suja Lowenthal is term-limited and exiting), three candidates have filed initial paperwork: Eric Gray, Jeannine Pearce and Joen Garnica.
4th district Councilman Daryl Supernaw (elected in an April 2015 special election to fill a vacancy created when former incumbent Patrick O'Donnell pursued and won a Sacramento Assembly seat) prevailed over an opponent endorsed by Mayor Garcia and all incumbent Councilmembers (except Mungo); he's now seeking a full four year term. In late October, Jonathan Paz filed a candidate intention statement.
6th district Councilman Dee Andrews (elected in April 2007) is term-limited but is pursuing a third term using the city's write-in procedure. Two potential candidates have filed intention statements: Robert Harmon and Erik Miller. On his Facebook page, Mr. Harmon said the following (Dec. 17) about the Civic Center transaction: "This is a great deal for such a massive undertaking. The planners, developers, and our elected officials have done a great job with incorporating the community's design inputs. I look forward to seeing this vision become a reality. Bravo Zulu."
In addition to Mr. Harmon, Wrigley resident Josie Villaseņor told LBREPORT.com in late October that she "will definitely" be filing paperwork to seek the 6th district Council seat.
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Councilman Austin took the lead in opposing a controversial city management budget-driven paramedic staffing plan. Management's plan was opposed by the LB Firefighter union and was ended in mid-2015 by order of the L.A. County's Emergency Medical Services Agency management.
Councilman Austin joined Councilmembers Supernaw and Uranga in a July 2015 vote opposing what Airport management described as a "feasibility study" for a federal customs facility. Internal Airport documents obtained by LBREPORT.com under state freedom of information law show now-exited Airport management used consultants to prepare two economic feasibility studies (that examined Airport economics but not impacts on the city) and worked quietly through much of 2013 to lay the groundwork for a customs facility at the behest of and in concert with Airport tenant JetBlue.
The internal Airport documents show that Airport management twice informed Councilmembers (presumably including Austin) by summary memos in July and November 2013 of its then-ongoing actions. However neither Councilman Austin nor any other then-incumbents disclosed these activities or publicly questioned them, effectively keeping Airport policy out of the 2014 election cycle. After then-Vice Mayor/Councilman Robert Garcia advanced to Mayor and five new Councilmembers took office, four of the new Councilmembers (without objection from Garcia) voted against Austin/Uranga/Supernaw's position and authorized the "feasibility study" which is now expected to surface sometime in 2016 (currently unclear whether before or after 2016 elections.)
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In his first term, Councilman Austin joined the new Council majority in supporting management-proposed, Mayor recommended budgets that failed to restore funding for LBPD's former field anti-gang unit, despite multiple gang-related shootings in the northern part of the 8th district.
In three separate votes (Dec. 2013, Dec. 2014 and now Dec. 2015), Austin voted to authorize spending several million dollars to pursue a new Civic Center without seeking bids or inviting Council presentations to seek information independent of city management from architects/retrofit experts on the option of seismically retrofiting LB's less than forty year old City Hall. The new Civic Center will be built/operated/maintained for a private entity's profit, using citywide sums without a vote of the people for a few blocks in downtown Long Beach, and will require the City to pay annual CPI escalating sums for over 40 years to occupy its own Civic Center. Those payments will begin with occupancy in or after mid-2019 [i.e. after the 2018 election cycle.]
The Council's most recent action (9-0, Dec. 15, 2015) approved entering into a complex 750 page draft contract, certified an EIR that contends the City examined all alternatives and authorized immediately spending $3 million from city surplus and then draining $1.7 million each year for the next ten years to demolish and abate asbestos at the old LB courthouse (an item not included in the management negoitiated Civic Center transaction.) (City management has separately testified that it expects deficits (spending exceeding expected revenue) in the coming years, including sizable pension increases in or after 2020.)
In November 2015, Councilman Austin joined a unanimous Council to approve giving a new Queen Mary operator a new 66 year lease described in a management summary memo that didn't disclose the full proposed lease text. Retired Deputy City Attorney Jim McCabe testified at the Council meeting that the item as agendized -- which is legally supposed to provide the public with clear notice of what is scheduled -- didn't mention the words "Queen Mary" (it simply listed the Assessor's parcel numbers to describe the proposed action.)
In November, Councilman Austin made the motion to approve letting an OC developer build 131 two and three story townhouses in a unified development on roughly 10.5 acres of the former privately owned open-space Will J. Reid Scout Park (4747 Daisy Ave.) in his 8th Council district. Councilman Austin's support for city staff's recommendations came amid split public testimony with most speakers (and a 200 signature petition) opposed. Fallout wasn't long in coming; a number of residents have now formed a new organization, Citizens About Responsible Planning (CARP), hired a law firm and on Friday (Dec. 18) filed a Superior Court action alleging violations by the City of the CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in changing current zoning that will create density considerably higher than traditional residential neighborhood protective zoning. (LBREPORT.com coverage here.)
In February 2015, Councilman Austin joined in allocating (8-0, 4th dist. vacant) $1 million to obtain a roughly $3 million "innovation grant" from Bloomberg Philanthropies for unspecified projects that will be overseen and controlled by the Mayor and City Management. The Mayor and city management indicated the $4 million would first focus on unspecified "economic development," but didn't indicate -- and Councilmembers didn't publicly insist on knowing -- where, when, on what or for whom the sums would be spent to promote "economic development"...and no Councilmembers inquired how the City would recoup the $1 million taxpayer sum the Council voted to allocate.
And in May 2015, Councilman Austin was the primary agendizer (joined by Councilmembers Gonzalez and Price) of a Council resolution to put the City of Long Beach on record as supporting "Meatless Mondays." In Council discussion at the time, Councilman Austin said he agendized the non-binding item as a way to "raise awareness and add to the dialogue" on the issue and said it is important to Long Beach, which has the highest rate of childhood obesity in California, and childhood obesity has lifelong health impacts including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and some types of cancer. He noted that other city governments (including Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco) had adopted similar resolutions. "If even for one day a week, people think a little bit more about what they are eating, and consider trying new healthier menu options, then this resolution will have accomplished its purpose." (The Council voted 7-2, Mungo and Supernaw) for the non-binding resolution.)
At 2:33 a.m. Dec. 21, LBREPORT.com received the email below from Councilman Austin. We publish it exactly as we received it.
Mr. Pearl,I'm disappointed in yet another unfair editorial hack job through your lenses. Clearly, you don't view the world the same way most in Long Beach do. I'm not going to even ask when you last had your eyes examined, or who you get you information from. I imagine your braintrust to have a myopic, uninformed, angry perspective about the city. No is easy!
Things are really looking UP in my part of town if you haven't noticed. We have activated communities and been able to leverage relationships with leaders locally and across the region to help my district and city. My district is strong snd is improving by the day.
I stand by my work and everyone of my votes, no matter how much you and a bitter minority of NIMBYs "past beens" try to twist and distort my record. My residents know the truth. They appreciate the progress and strong partnerships we have made during my first four years.
Most see the 8th District and City moving in the right direction. I'm eager remind my voters of our successes and to share my vision for 2016 and beyond.
Onward and Upward!
[Sent via an iPhone]
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