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Harbor Commission Votes 4-0 (Guzman Absent) To Enter Into Civic Center Transaction, Is Told Action Allows Sufficient Flexibility For PorT Staff To Address Tidelands Fund Issues Raised By State Lands Commission


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(Dec. 19, 2015) -- As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com and reported on our front page, LB's Harbor Commission voted 4-0 (Guzman absent) at a specially scheduled Dec. 17 meeting to authorize the Port of LB's entry into a contract to participate in a transaction with the City of Long Bech that will allow a private firm to finance/build/operate/maintain a new LB Civic Center in which the Port has agreed to locate its new headquarters building.

In a Power Point presentation, port staffer said the agreement has [paraphrase] already taken care to ensure uses of tidelands funds for the Harbor's role are separate from city (municipal/non-tidelands) uses and the Port will be working with city staff to address issues raised in a Dec. 15 letter from the State Lands Comm'n (LBREPORT.com coverage, click here.)

Harbor Commissioner Dines said he had no questions, having met with the City Attorney's office reps and Port staff over past few weeks.

Comm'r Egoscue signaled her support and, regarding the SLC letter, asked Port staff to confirm that there is sufficient flexibility in the motion and documents brought to the Harbor Commission for its approval to enable Port staff to work with SLC on the issues raised. PoLB staff responded that the agreement includes sufficient flexibility to discuss those issues and to make any changes necessary in proposed agreements (and if they were major agreements they would be brought back to the Board of Harbor Commissioners.

Comm'r Drummond supported the agreement, cited the new Port HQ's location alongside Magnolia Ave. leading straight to Port.

Comm'n VP Bynum called the Civic Center project the right project for City and the Port and also commended Port and city officials. Bynum said she considers the Harbor Commission's action "something of a holiday gift."

At its Dec. 15 meeting, the City Council voted 9-0 to approve obligating the city contractually for the 40+ year transaction, including a 750 page draft contract (first put online on Dec. 7) and certifying an Environmental Impact Report (contending that the City had adequately examined other feasible alternatives.) The Council also voted to approve spending $3 million in surplus and issuing a debt bond that will drain $1.7 million in city funds for ten years to tear down and abate asbestos in the former LB courthouse, on land within the Civic Center project area.

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