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Long Beach City Hall Claims No Responsive Public Records On Communications Involving Mayor Garcia Or His Office Re Filling Council Public Speaking Slots On Convention Center Use To House Migrant Minors

LBREPORT.com calls City Hall's response not credible, asks City Att'y to attend to "shrugged response"



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(April 21, 2021, 5:25 a.m.) -- Following up on a story (reported first again) by LBREPORT.com, the City of Long Beach contends it has no responsive records of communications (including texts, emails and the like) by or between Mayor Robert Garcia (or his office staff) regarding participation in public speaking slots re the April 6 Council agenda item on use of the Convention Center to house migrant minors"

"In response to your request for public records received on April 09, 2021, the City of Long Beach does not have responsive records," City Management's Public Records Center said on April 15. It said LBEPORT.com's PRA request "is now closed."

As reported by LBREPORT.com on April 7, City Clerk records show that within minutes of a 24-hour notice of a Special April 6 City Council meeting going online, over a dozen speakers -- some of them appointees of Mayor Robert Garcia -- swiftly signed up for the City Clerk-limited twenty public speaker slots. They included Mayor Garcia's brother, Jacob O'Donnell (a field rep for state Senator Lena Gonazalez), Garcia advisory appointee Andrew Kerr and Sharon Weissman, a former "senior advisor" and "transportation deputy" in Garcia's City Hall office whom Garcia has since appointed to LB's Harbor Commission.

By the 8 p.m. hour, seven of the twenty slots remained open, and by mid-morning April 6 other Mayoral allies, electeds and appointees had filled the remainder. The result created an echo chamber of public support for the Mayor-Council supported action. Some media outlets marveled at how public testimony was unanimously supportive on a hot button controversial issue.

With the exception of James Suazo of Long Beach Forward (who signed up swiftly, opposed on principle incarcerating migrant children and sought a firm Aug. 2 end to the Convention Center arrangement) other opponents were either "asleep at the switch" or unwilling to sign up to speak publicly on the item. The net effect of the action effectively blocked others from signing up to speak by midmorning April 6.

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LBREPORT.com publisher Bill Pearl commented: "In our view, the City's response simply isn't credible and appears to be contradicted by third party information." He said he has brought management's PRA response to the attention of City Attorney Charles Parkin's office and asked him to "attend to City Hall's shrugged response."

"We believe the City's conducted an inadequate search to our statutory request for responsive records," said Pearl. "The public has a legal right to see documents showing the true extent of the City's involvement," he said, adding "the withheld records may also show city actions with Brown (open meetings) Act consequences."

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/tr> /5/21 18:12:23/tr>
Date/timeSpeaker sign upContext [by LBREPORT.com]
4/5/21 17:17:57James SuazoHeads advocacy group LB Forward opposes continued migrant child incarceration, seeking firm end date to LB Convention Ctr use and urging fed'l pro immigrant legal changes
4/5/21 18:10:10Megan KerrElected LB School Board member, ally of Mayor Garcia
4/5/21 18:11:25Andy KerrSpouse of Megan Kerr, Mayor Garcia appointee to LB Homeless Task Force, Mayoral appointee to "Transactions and Use Tax Advisory Committee"
4/5/21 18:09:35Jessica QuintanaExecutive Dir. Centro C.H.A.
4/5/21 18:17:50Patrick Swymer
4/5/21 18:18:01Lukas Walczak
4/5/21 18:24:57Jacob O’DonnellMayor Garcia's brother, field rep for state Senator Lena Gonzalez.
4/5/21 18:26:42Melinda Lankford
4/5/21 18:32:48Gregory SandersPastor, ROCK Christian Fellowship
4/5/21 18:35:57Maricela de RiveraPublic Affairs, City of LB
4/5/21 18:39:27Sharon WeissmanMayor Gacia's former "senior advisor" and "transportation deputy" whom Garcia recently appointed to LB Harbor Comm'n
4/5/21 18:45:34Christopher Chavez
4/5/21 18:54:59Brad Paradee
4/5/21 20:46Gerardo Arceo
4/5/21 22:47Vivian MalauuluElected LBCC Trustee
4/6/21 0:44:36Charles SongLong Beach Cambodian community activist
4/6/21 5:47:17Tracy Fuentes
4/6/21 8:27:40Herlinda ChicoElected LBCC Trustee and Field Deputy for LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn
4/6/21 9:04:58Ron AriasRetired head of LB Health Dept., Mayor Garcia recently gave Mr. Arias "Key to the City" honor
4/6/21 10:49:02Mary Ellen MitchellExec. Dir, Women's Shelter of LB
.

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The cap on 20 telephoned public speakers isn't set in LB's Council-enacted Municipal Code; it's current COVID-19 City Clerk office practice.

During the April 6 Council item, some Councilmembers (in particular Suzie Price) signaled in their Council remarks that their offices had received passionate public pushback on the proposed Convention Center use.

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Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.


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