(March 23, 2015) -- 9th Council district residents are voting now through March 27 in a non-governmental election, organized and conducted by a northern CA non-profit, inviting residents to choose which among eleven publicly suggested, officially pre-approved infrastructure projects (list below) to implement in their NLB Council district.

LBREPORT.com's VIDEO on-demand news program Big News Sunday carried a VIDEO report on this story. To view VIDEO, click here.

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Voters can choose up to four of eleven infrastructure projects, to be funded from $250,000 already allocated by the City Council (Sept. 2014 budget vote) for discretionary infrastructure projects in every Council district. In other districts, Councilmembers decide how it's spent; in the 9th district, residents' votes will decide. "[C]ome out and vote on how to spend $250,000 to improve our community," an event flier states.

Those wishing to vote must show some evidence that they live in the 9th district (a utility bill or the like will suffice.) An event flier states: "You do not need to be a registered voter or U.S. citizen to participate, but must live in District 9 and be at least 14 years old. Busines owners and non-profit representatives in the district are also eligible to vote." .Voting continues through March 27 at the 9th Council district field office (6509 Gundry Ave.) 2-6 p.m. on Mar 23-26; 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mar. 27. (As of the end of voting on Saturday Mar. 21, over 100 residents had cast ballots.) Voters can cast their participatory budget ballots (English and Spanish) in printed hard-copy form or by computer.

Eleven projects (out of over 100 initially suggested by the public) were approved for the ballot after review and what organizers call "refinements" by various committees created by organizers. Voters can vote for up to four of the following projects on the ballot (no write-ins):

• Community-involved Park Murals (Coolidge Park, Ramona Park) ($25,000)

• Community Comnputer Labs (Houghton Park, Light and Life Church, Downey Campus) ($70,000)

• Jordan High School Digital Marquee (In front of Jordan High along Atlantic Ave.)($100,000)

• Outdoor Equipment & Fitness Zone at Ramona Park (Ramona Park between the Community Center and the children's playground)($100,000)

• Solar Powered Lights at DeForest Park (DeForest Park)($95,000)

• Refurbish the Huey/Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Corners of Atlantic/Harding Avenues, SW corner of Houghton Park)($25,300)

• Security Cameras in Higher-Crime Zones (Intersecions of Artesia/Atlantic, Artesia/Orange, Artesia/Cherry, and Harding/Orange)($100,000)

• Alley Lighting in Higher-Crime Zones (Artesia Blvd. on the north, 64th St. on the south, Cherry Ave. on the east, Orange Ave. on the west)($60,000)

• South Street Beautification (South St. on north side from Downey Ave. to Dairy St.)($25,000)

• Bike Lanes on Artesia Blvd. (From Cherry Ave. to Downey Ave.)($100,000)

• Wheel-chair Accessible ADA curb ramps (Harcourt St./Rahn Ave., Delta Ave./57th St., 57th Way and Delta Ave.)($100,000)

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Outside the entrance to the voting area, proponents set up displays telling voters what their projects would do..

The "security cameras" project included the following text:

Bigger budget decisions -- such as whether to restore police (including LBPD's field anti-gang unit eliminated in Sept. 2014 Council vote) ] aren't among choices in which the public can "participate." [In December 2014, the Council voted without dissent to build a new Civic Center (Dec. 2014) without seeking bids for a City Hall seismic retrofit, using a process that avoids a public vote.]

Voting began place on Sat. Mar. 21 at Houghton Park; on Sunday Mar 22, votes were cast at the Light and Life Christian Fellowship...and voting will continue from Mar. 23-26 (2 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and March 27 (7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at the 9th district field office (6509 Gundry Ave.)

Organizers say the Long Beach 9th district Participatory Budget project is the first of its kind in southern California. The system is also being used in parts of New York City (9 Council districts), Chicago (3 wards), parts of San Francisco and Vallejo, CA.

There's information about the project locally on www.pblongbeach.org.

Now-former Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske (exited office mid-July 2014) implemented a more rudimentary (not grant-supported) online project, inviting her constituents to choose form among 5th district discretionary infrastructure projects. .