| (Aug. 18, 2021, 5:30 a.m.) -- During public comment on non-agendized items at the Aug. 17 City Council meeting, Corliss Lee (President of The Eastside Voice) criticized the Council for failing for months to agendize and oppose SB 9 (allowing four or more units on single family lots except for historic districts) and SB 10 (letting Council enact ordinance to allow up to 10 units on single family lots) as the bills now approach final votes in Sacramento.
With Councilmembers mum, Mayor Robert Garcia cut Ms. Lee off in mid sentence as she hit a three minute limit on public testimony in trying to state that on Wednesday Aug 18, the L.A. City Council will consider a resolution by L.A. Councilmembers Koretz and Krekorian to oppose SB 9 and 10.
Both SB 9 and SB 10 have been pending since Dec. 2020. SB 9 is co-authored by former LB Councilwoman/now state Senator Lena Gonzalez. It passed the state Senate with her "yes" vote as well as that of state Senator Umberg (D, SE LB/west OC.) Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell (D, LB-SP)) has indicated he opposes both SB 9 and SB 10. However Assembly Speaker (part of Sacramento Democrat-majority leadership) Anthony Rendon (D, NLB-Paramount) supports the bill. If SB 9 clears the Assembly Appropriations Committee tomorrow (Aug. 19) it will head to the Assembly floor. If the full Assembly approves SB 9, SB 9 will head back to the state Senate for agreement with Assembly amendments and then land on Governor Newsom's desk (who could veto it or sign it into law.). For months, Ms. Lee's Eastside Voice, joined by the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association and Citizens About Responsible Planning have urged Council opposition to SB 9 (joinng opposition by dozens of cities and neighborhood groups statewide) and pleaded with Councilmembers to agendize the issue for public discussion and the LB policy position. As an individual Councilmember, Suzie Price sent a June 23 letter that stopped short of opposing SB 9 but voiced concerns and suggested Sacramento lawmakers make unspecified amendments giving LB City Hall greater autonomy on development projects. Price's letter contended that the City of Long Beach has made "significant, good faith progress to improve housing policies with the goal with the goal of creating an environment conducive to more housing development but does so in a way that considers the unique local circumstances and environment of our city." It requests "that you [state lawmakers] consider appropriate changes to SB 9 with the intention of eliminating unintended consequences that harm communities where good faith and meaningful progress is being made on housing. Perhaps one incentive for cities that are making progress would be would be to allow more autonomy and discretion for future development projects...I defer to you on how that balance could be reached but I hope you will consider something along those lines as the discussion moves forward." Price's letter was sent after SB 9 already cleared the state Senate and passed all Assembly policy committees. Neither Price nor other Council incumbents have agendized either SB9 or SB10 for a voted Council position setting City policy. |      |
