News Stories Preceding <nobr>July 7</nobr> Council Agenda Item Re Customs Facility/Int'l Flights @ LB Airport

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News Stories Preceding July 7 Council Agenda Item Re Customs Facility/Int'l Flights @ LB Airport

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(July 7, 2015, 2:25 p.m.) -- LBREPORT.com notes the following items in recent news stories about a July 7 City Council agenda item regarding a federal customs facility/international flights at Long Beach Airport.

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Background

The agendizing memo for the July 7 Council meeting, co-signed by Airport Director Bryant Francis and approved by City Manager Pat West, states: "Should the City Council direct staff to proceed to perform the work necessary to determine the feasibility of a Federal Inspection Service Facility at the Long Beach Airport, staff would issue either a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or a Request for Proposals (RFP) to engage the services of an industry expert. Costs would be determined by the results of the RFQ/RFP process." On February 23, JetBlue submitted a request to Airport management that the Airport and the City apply to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security for a user-fee designation and seek approval to establish a Customs facilities at LB Airport.

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On the same date (Feb. 23), Airport Manager Bryant Francis sent a memo to the Mayor and Councilmembers stating that the Airport received a written request from JetBlue "to begin work with the City to seek the creation of a U.S. Customs Facility" at LB Airport. The statement about JetBlue's written request is true...but telling elected officials that it was a request "to begin work" on the Customs facility is untrue. Internal Airport documents obtained by LBREPORT.com under the CA Public Records Act show that Airport management [under the immediately-past Airport manager] did considerable work on the project in 2013 and into early 2014, albeit without public discussion and without voted Council approval. LBREPORT.com's most recent coverage is at this link. LBREPORT.com first reported on the internal Airport documents over a year earlier in June, 2014.

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Outlet	LBREPORT.com comments
PressTelegram, July 5, 2015 [Headline] "JetBlue-requested customs facility at Long Beach Airport could get study"	Airport management already commissioned (hired outside firms to perform) a cost study and an Economic Feasibility Study in 2013. LBREPORT.com obtained the documents under the CA Public Records Act, reported by LBREPORT.com at this link. LBREPORT.com is unaware of whether the publication is/was aware of the 2013 studies, which Airport management conducted without voted Council approval and didn't release publicly.
PressTelegram, July 5, 2015 "The City Council will be asked Tuesday to provide direction on conducting a feasibility study for the proposal that would allow international travel at the city-owned airport."	Accurate
Gazettes, July 2, 2015 "Tuesday, the council will be asked to decide whether to have staff do the studies necessary to determine the feasibility of a Federal Inspection Service Facility (a U.S. Customs operation) at the airport."	Airport management already commissioned (hired outside firms to perform) a cost study and an Economic Feasibility Study in 2013. LBREPORT.com obtained the documents under state freedom of information law, reported by LBREPORT.com at this link. LBREPORT.com is unaware of whether the publication is/was aware of the 2013 studies, which Airport management conducted without voted Council approval and didn't release publicly.
Gazettes, July 2, 2015 "If the answer is yes, the staff would issue a Request for Qualifications or a Request for Proposals to find an appropriate consultant to do that work."	Staff's agendizing memo recommends hiring an "industry expert." Describing an industry expert as an "appropriate consultant" isn't factually precise and is arguably opinion.
Gazettes, July 2, 2015 "JetBlue and Long Beach officials have been discussing the possibility of international flights at least since 2013."	Accurate but in our opinion incomplete. Airport management and JetBlue have done more than "discussed" the matter, shown in internal Airport documents obtained by LBREPORT.com under state freedom of information law, reported at this link.
LB Business Journal, July 7-20, 2015 "At tonight's (July 7) meeting, city councilmembers will decide on whether to conduct a feasibility study on allowing international flights at the Long Beach Airport and establishing a [federal inspection facility'...	Accurate but in our opinion incomplete. Airport management already commissioned (hired outside firms to perform) a cost study and an Economic Feasibility Study in 2013. LBREPORT.com obtained the documents under state freedom of information law, reported by LBREPORT.com at this link. LBREPORT.com is unaware of whether the publication is/was aware of the 2013 studies, which Airport management conducted without voted Council approval and didn't release publicly.
LB Business Journal, July 7-20, 2015 "A move by the city council to perform a feasibility study on the issue was put on hold in March [in order to await the election of a new 4th district Councilmember.]	There was no move by the City Council to conduct a feasibility study and no such agendized item by city management. There was [as the article apparently intends to convey] an item agendized by Councilmembers Austin and Uranga, which carried 4-3 on March 3, to direct city staff to take no further actions on JetBlue's request until 60 days after a new 4th district Councilmember took office.]