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HEAR IT: Council Votes 6-3 (Austin, Supernaw, Uranga dissenting) To Authorize City Mgr. To Proceed With Work Necessary [Mgt Memo Said Hire "Industry Expert"] To Determine Feasibility Of Fed'l Customs Facility At LB Airport; Fed'l Facility Would Allow Int'l Flights, Couldn't Be Limited To One Operator

  • Speakers opposed outnumbered supporters roughly two to one; half of speakers in support worked for or were associated with JetBlue

  • Councilwoman Mungo tells residents who voiced concern about their home values: "I want all of you to stay in the homes you're in, but quite frankly if you moved, the city would actually increase its property tax revenue" (hear audio)

  • Opponents cite Airport management-commissioned 2013 Economic Feasibility Study, performed without voted Council authority, charge City is pursuing new study because it didn't like results of first study
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    (July 8, 2015, 8:10 a.m.) -- As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com, after nearly two and a half hours of discussion, the City Council voted 6-3 (Austin, Supernaw and Uranga dissenting) on July 7 to authorize the City Manager [Lowenthal main motion, seconded by Mungo before public testimony] to proceed with the work necessary [didn't specify by whom, staff agenda item said hiring an "industry expert"] to determine the feasibility, financial or otherwise, of a federal inspection (customs) service facility at the Long Beach Airport.

    Councilman Al Austin, seconded by Councilman Darryl Supernaw, made a substitute motion to receive and file and were supported by Councilman Roberto Uranga.

    Councilwoman Stacy Mungo made a substitute-substitute motion for the Lowenthal motion with the addition of at least two "community meetings" in areas most impacted. Councilwoman Mungo also accepted inclusion of four of five topics suggested by Austin (from some 8th dist. residents who indicated they were opposed to the study) for inclusion in the study. Mungo declined to accept an item by Austin that would have ensured that the contract to hire the person or entity ["industry expert"] performing the study would return to the Council for voted approval. [Airport management indicated that whether the contract will return to the Council for a vote will depend on the study's cost.]

    Thirty-five public speakers testified on-point. Speakers in opposition outnumbered speakers in support roughly 2-1.

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    Of the dozen speakers in support, half were employees of or otherwise associated with JetBlue: one was a JetBlue VP, one was JetBlue's local GM and four were JetBlue employees. The other half included reps from LB Area Chamber, LB Airport Ass'n, LA/OC Building Trade Unions and Airline Pilots Ass'n Int'l (a pilot for JetBlue) and a Lakewood Village area homeowner. JetBlue has repeatedly stated that it seeks to operate within the terms of the Airport ordinance.

    Speakers in opposition included the Presidents of Los Cerritos and Cal Hts Neighborhood Ass'ns, multiple Los Cerritos/Bixby Knolls/Los Altos residents; several citing impacts on their homes, quality of life and their childrens' schools; some business operators criticized the Chamber's stance. Also speaking in opposition: Los Cerritos community advocate John Deats, former LBUSD schoolboard candidate Dr. Marshall Blesofsky, former 4th dist. Council candidate Herlinda Chico, retired LB Councilwoman (and LBHUSH2 co-founder) Rae Gabelich and Neighborhoods First co-founders Joe and Linda Sopo.

    Several opponents cited an Airport management-commissioned 2013 Economic Feasibility Study, performed without voted Council authority and concealed from the public [until obtained under state freedom of information law and reported last year by LBREPORT.com] and charged the City is now pursuing new study because it didn't like results of first study.

    After multiple residents testified to the importance of their family home values and further public comment was closed, Councilwoman Mungo stated: "I want all of you to stay in the homes you're in, but quite frankly if you moved, the city would actually increase its property tax revenue. Because of Prop 13 and your protections, we are not making a decision to get rid of you or move you and..."

    Mungo's statement ignited audible audience displeasure, and as it rose, Mayor Garcia intervened and effectively invited Mungo not to say any more: "You're all done, Councilwoman?" the Mayor said, to which Councilwoman Mungo quietly replied "sure."

    To hear an audio clip of this exchange, click here.

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    When Councilwoman Mungo spoke a second time (after stressing previously that she stated facts), she stated "our current terminal was opposed by all the members of this community who are booing tonight" when LBHUSH2 and others had actually urged (and a former Council majority approved) preserving LB Airport's boutique size that travelers say they like (when others had advocated an Airport terminal more than double its current size.)

    For quick-launch on-demand AUDIO of the entire proceedings, click the following:

  • (1) City Mgr. opening plus public testimony in full, pro/con (1 hr, 36 mins).
  • (2) Council statements in full to voted conclusion (53 minutes).

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    As reported by LBREPORT.com in 2014, and reiterated in a recent report by us in 2015, LB Airport management had an Economic Feasibility Study performed in 2013 without voted Council authority...and the study produced mixed results. The 2013 Economic Feasibility Study wasn't publicly released by Airport or City management but was obtained by LBREPORT.com under the CA Public Records Act in 2014 and re-capped by us in recent days. Several speakers in opposition cited the already-performed Economic Feasibility study, and charged that city management was attempting to perform a second study because it didn't like the results of the first study.

    City Manager Pat West said the 2013 Economic Feasibility Study was conducted by a firm on retainer and portrayed it as [paraphrase] a quickly done piece of work for quick reference [which isn't consistent with internal Airport public record documents in our possession] and the new study would be conducted by a firm retained after an RFP or RFQ process.

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