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See It/Hear It: Councilwoman Mungo's "State of the 5th Dist" Event Echoes Mayor/Mgm't Themes, Cites Multiple Citywide Items, Friendliness To Businesses

Mum On Approaching Deficit, El Dorado Park (And Citywide) Artificial Soccer Turf Controversy, Attempt To Turn LGB Into Int'l Airport Amid Warnings It Could Risk Ordinance Protecting LB From Unlimited Flights


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(June 28, 2015, 12:10 p.m.) -- In a decisive public break with her predecessor, 5th district Councilwoman Stacy Mungo delivered a State of the 5th district message that echoed upbeat citywide in formulations frequently stated by Mayor Robert Garcia and city management, stressed "business friendly" policies and endorsed actions that previous two-term Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske had opposed.


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In 25 minutes of remarks read from prepared text on an event stage in Pan Am Park (preceding a hired band), Councilwoman Mungo (who took office mid-July 2014) said violent crime is down, LBPD response times are shorter than elsewhere, LBFD paramedic responses are faster under a lower-cost paramedic staffing system now being tested (opposed by the LB Firefighters Ass'n) and told residents that the City of Long Beach moves forward when residents spread good news, referencing the title of her office's emailed newsletter "neighborly news."

The event, scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., didn't get underway until about 6:25 p.m. by which time the audience had grown to about 120 people.



In quick introductory remarks, Cong. Alan Lowenthal (D., LB-West OC) described recent events in DC, then praised and introduced Mayor Robert Garcia, who made brief remarks and introduced Councilwoman Mungo. Among officials attending were 3rd dist. Councilwoman Suzie Price, LBPD Chief Robert Luna and LBFD Chief Mike DuRee and LBCC Trustee (reps ELB area) Dr. Virginia Baxter. They sat in chairs set up for them; residents used home-brought chairs picnic style.


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Councilwoman Mungo's office had T-shirts specially prepared for State of the City event; a staffer said they'd be distributed to invited volunteers who'd taken part in the Councilwoman's first "volunteer day" organized in cooperation with local businesses. A multi-colored brochure titled "State of the 5h district" was also available. Neatly bagged cookies, popcorn, pretzels were available along with bottled water. The LB Firefighters Association attended and served grilled hot dogs.





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Moments after Councilwoman Mungo completed welcoming the elected officials, someone detonated a VERY loud (sounded like "M-80" or the like) firecracker [sounded some distance away.] The explosion is audible at 3:18 into audio file here.) All fireworks are illegal in Long Beach [and explosive fireworks are illegal throughout CA) and LB's Police and Fire Chiefs didn't appear to be amused. "They're getting prepared for the fireworks to come," Councilwoman Mungo said and continued on.

Councilwoman Mungo stressed policies friendly to new businesses. She cited decisions by Mercedes Benz to locate a distribution center and Virgin Galactic to locate a design facility in the 5th district. [Both firms have previously indicated City Hall wasn't directly involved in their private leasing decisions, but said they found LB a good place to do business.] Councilwoman Mungo also cited a sizable number of new 5th district businesses.

Councilman Mungo, who noted that she is Mayor Garcia's appointee to both the Budget Oversight Committee and Public Safety Committee, didn't indicate she would support restoring LBPD service levels (reduced by roughly 200 police since 2009 including the city's now-eliminated field anti-gang unit) or LBFD resources (three fire stations now without fire engines capable of putting out fires.) She likewise didn't acknowledge a management-acknowledged approaching deficit and its potential impacts on public safety in coming years [which Councilwoman Price has publicly acknowledged in the Council's Public Safety Committee.]

Councilwoman Mungo said a new City website and smart phone apps now give residents easier access to City services and City Hall dispensed information and didn't mention "transparency," a Schipske favored theme, in her remarks.

Councilwoman Mungo cited with approval a $3 million private philanthropic grant for innovation purposes (sought by Mayor Garcia without first obtaining Council approval despite a $1 million taxpayer cost, first reported by LBREPORT.com; the $1 million sum was ultimately approved by the Council without dissent.)

Councilwoman Mungo wrapped up her remarks by praising Council approval of a new Civic Center, a transaction advanced without seeking bids for a City Hall seismic retrofit (structured as a "public private partnership" to avoid a public vote that would be required if bond financing were sought for a seismic retrofit.) Mungo's predecessor, two-term Councilwoman Schipske, was the lone Council dissenter on the transaction. Councilwoman Mungo's praise for the Civic Center transaction was followed by several seconds of stone silence (26:05-26:12 on audio.)

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Unmentioned: a city management proposal to install an artificial turf soccer field in El Dorado Park West (and two other parks immediately plus other parks in the future.) Parks & Rec management favored using acrylic-coated "crumb rubber;" LB's Parks & Rec Commission voted (3-2) to use natural materials instead (such as coconut husks and rice); a number of 5th district residents and the El Dorado Park South Neighborhood Association have appealed the issue to the full City Council, urging better maintained soccer fields using natural grass.

Likewise unmentioned: an effort by one LB Airport tenant (JetBlue) to have the City agree to allow a federal Airport customs facility, an action that couldn't be restricted to one carrier and would effectively turn LGB into an International Airport. If approved, the action would, for the first time, let international operators (both cargo and passenger) seek LB flight slots which are currently filled for large aircraft under LB's Airport ordinance. The ordinance protects Long Beach from unlimited flights at all hours of the day and night on all runways; loss of the ordinance could allow large aircraft regularly on runway 25R which spans the length of the 5th Council district.)

In March 2015, Councilwoman Mungo accused unnamed Councilmembers of "pandering to the crowd" in seeking a 90 day pause (ultimately reduced to 60 days) to let a new incoming 4th district Councilmember to study the issue. (The vote on the item, approving the pause sought by Councilmembers Austin and Uranga, was Yes: Price, Uranga, Austin, Richardson; No: Lowenthal, Mungo, Andrews [4th dist vacant, Gonzalez out on maternity leave.])



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