Council Votes 9-0 To Approve City Mgm't/Mayor Favored Framework For Spending $208 Mil COVID-19 Relief Windfall (Nearly Half of Gen'l Fund Budget). Mgm't Held Invitation-Only Closed-Door Meetings With Various Constituencies, Then Announced Plan, Councilmembers Praise Procedure; Plan Includes:
$5 Mil For Restaurants, Breweries and Bars
$5 Mil For Fitness, Babershops And Salons
$4 Mil For Public Safety Items That Don't Restore Defunded Police Officers
$12 Mil For Homeless Related Spending
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(March 17, 2021, 6:55 a.m.) -- At the March 16 City Council meeting, the City Council voted 9-0 to support a "Long Beach Recovery Plan" written by city management and supported by LB's non-policy-setting Mayor, that allocated a $208 million windfall for City Hall (a sum amounting to nearly half of LB's annual General Fund) in federal, state and county funds (details below.).
During the Council item (which ran over two and a half hours in total), Mayor Garcia disclosed that earlier that day he'd sent Councilmembers a letter indicating the City stood receive roughly $12.35 million more (in the final federal bill.) Garcia's letter wasn't immediately visible for the public on the City Clerk's website; he read his proposed spending items aloud which include:
$2,000,000 for micro and public transit pilot program
$2,000,000 "direct income pilots"
$1,250,000 for "economic empowerment zones"
$1,000,000 for child care and early childhood education
$5,000,000 in housing support (including downpayment assistance for first time homeowners) and "public land trust"
$300,000 additional for "Justice Fund" (defense for LB residents facing deportation)
$500,000 for additional language translation
Unspexcified amount to wipe out library fees for next year
There was no prior public discussion of the management/Mayor spending plan as publicly agendized (amounts, priorities, percentages.) Instead, city staff held invitation-only closed-door meetings ("roundtables") with various interest groups and constituencies. Based on input from the selected interest groups, and previously indicated Council supported policies, city management proposed the agendized spending plan which incoprorated some, but not all, of the constituencies' desires. City Manager Tom Modica indicated that management offered a proposed framework but final decisions rested with the City Council. City management's agendizing memo listed the roundtables and their suggestions in management's agendizing memo, pp. 59-195.) They included:
Long Beach Bar Coalition, Council of Business Associations, Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Pleasure Travel Marketing Group, Downtown Long Beach Alliance Board of Directors, a "Study Session" of the Economic Development & Finance Committee (ED&F) (Mungo, Allen, Richardson), Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) [2 sessions], Study Session of the Mayor/Council chosen Economic Development Commission, Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council, Chamber of Commerce International Business Association, Long Beach Restaurant Association, Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, On-demand Workers and Employers, Accelerate Uptown Barber Shops and Salon Business Owners, Accelerate Uptown Re-entry Entrepreneurs and Workers, Non-Profit Business Recovery (The Partnership), Centro Cha LatinX Community Roundtable, Service Worker Labor Representatives, Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council (LBCREC), Service Clubs & Nonprofits (Interservice Club Luncheons, Steel Magnolias< Kiwanis, Century Club, Rotary, Aquatic Capital of America, Salvation Army), Central Long Beach Businesses & Workers Roundtable,Arts Community Roundtable, Housing, Immigration, and Language Access Roundtable, African American Cultural Center Board of Directors, Black Owned Business, Meals on Wheels, plus letters received from Long Bech Hospitality Alliance, Long Beach Symphony, and Arts Council for Long Beach.
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Councilmembers praised the procedure and its results, which include allocating:
$5 million to restaurants, breweries and bars
$5 million for fitness businesses gyms, babershops and salons
$4 million for "Public Safety" spending [that doesn't restore any defunded police officers)
$12 million for homeless items (Health Dept)
In public testimony, no members of the public called for restoring defunded police offices. Members of the United Cambodian Community (whose CD 6 and western portion of CD 4 have experienced multiple shootings) focused on language access policies. No neighborhood groups spoke on restoring defunded offices (180+ defunded 2009-2015 and not restored to date on top of 48 additional officers defunded in Sept. 2020 FY 21 Council vote.) .
In Council colloquy, no Councilmembers urged restoring defunded officers
City management's agendizing memo at this link indicates City Hall expects to receive an estimated $141 million from the recently enacted $1.9 trillion "American Rescue Plan Act" which provides "broad guidance related to eligible use of funds" and must be used (subject to federal regulations still being drafted) to:
Li>Respond to the COVID-19 emergency and address its economic effects, including through aid to households, small businesses, nonprofits, and industries such as tourism and hospitality;
Respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers of a local government performing essential work or providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work;
Provide government services affected by a revenue reduction resulting from the COVID- 19 emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent fiscal year prior to the emergency; and,
Make investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
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The federal "American Rescue Plan Act" also includes $5 billion for homeless assistance, from which City Hall expects $10 million (bringing the total estimated allocation to Long Beach to $151 million ($141 million in a general grant and $10 million in homeless assistance). Management also expects to receive $30 million for emergency tenant assistance and $26.7 million for a Health Dept. epidemiology and laboratory capacity grant.
Scroll to pages 24-29 of the agedizing memo for itemized details approved by the City Council:
[Scroll down for further.]
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DIRECT BUSINESS SUPPORT (totals $25 million)
Direct Grants to Restaurants, Breweries, and Bars: $5,000,000 Provides working capital grants up to $25,000 to assist locally-owned, independent, full-service, sit-down restaurant, brewery and bar owners to retire debt, pay fixed costs and utilities, pay rent, rehire employees, b y startup inventory, and relaunch businesses. Awards will be based on tiers by revenue, size, employees. Program design will be based on recommendations from the Restaurant Retention Strategy, and feedback from Community Roundtables with the Long Beach Bar Coalition & Long Beach Restaurant Association. Includes grant funding for community-based support organizations to provide technical assistance to assist with language access, application, and research of other State and Federal grant programs:
Direct Grants to Fitness and Personal Services Sector Businesses: Provides working capital grants up to $25,000 to assist gyms, barbershops, salons, and other personal services to retire debt, pay fixed costs and utilities, pay rent, rehire employees, by startup inventory, and relaunch businesses. Awards will be based on tiers by revenue, size, employees. Program design will be based on recommendations from Community Roundtables, Council of Business Associations, and small business owners. Includes grant funding for
community-based support organizations to provide technical assistance to assist with language access, application,
and research of other State and Federal grant programs.: $ 5,000,000
Non-Profit Administrative Support Grants: $3,000,000 In addition to the funding of non-profits in the Healthy and Safe Communities program that supports direct services to the community, this program provides working capital grants up to $25,000 to assist non-profit directors and boards to retire debt, pay fixed costs and utilities, pay rent, rehire employees, by startup inventory, and relaunch businesses. Awards will be based on tiers by revenue, size, employees. Program design will be based on recommendations from
Community Roundtables, Arts Council, museum leaders, and creative business owners. Up to 50% of grant funds will be advanced to assist with cash flow so that programming can begin immediately. Up to 25% of grant funds may be used for unrestricted organizational expenses including rent, payroll, administration, and fixed costs.
Direct Grants to Other Businesses Impacted by COVID-19; $2,000,000 Provides working capital grants up to $10,000 to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19 that are not identified in the categories above that will require support to survive the recovery period. Awards will be based on tiers by revenue, size, employees. This program provides working capital grants to business owners (not included in the categories above), to retire debt, pay fixed costs and utilities, pay rent, rehire employees, by startup inventory, and relaunch
businesses. Awards will be based on tiers by revenue, size, employees. Program design will be based on recommendations from Community Roundtables, Council of Business Associations, and small business owners.
Fee Waivers for Businesses and Non-profits: $3,500,000: Grants will be provided on a pro-rated basis to cover the costs of existing or delinquent business licenses, inspection fees, utilities, and other City-related permits for the period of 2021. This will be utilized to bring businesses current on City fees so that they are able to reopen and begin to recover revenue. May also be utilized in-lieu of an "amnesty" or "grace period" recommended through the Roundtables. Businesses and non-profits must demonstrate financial
impacts to receive funding
Visitor Attraction & Hospitality Sector Recovery: #1,250,000 Provides the Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and partners funding to coordinate visitor generation and customer activation in the hotel, hospitality, entertainment, and visitor-serving sectors needed to reopen businesses and recover lost jobs. Will promote citywide accommodations and visitor services.
Sponsor
Sponsor
VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SAFE CITIES (totals $4,000,000)
Youth Academic Programming: $900,000 Expands library services and programming for teens in Long Beach, such as the Youth Poet Laureate program and Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering and Mathematics (STEAM) workshops, e.g. computer coding, 3-D printing
finishing techniques, photography, video games.
Youth Life Coaching & Mentoring: $300,000 Establish a life coaching network and mentoring for youth in impacted areas to support academic success and economic mobility.
Youth Health and Safety Progamming: $1,100,000: Be SAFE Expansion for park activation at night, Midnight Basketball, teen job readiness/life skills program, teen sports program, family & teen enrichment wellness classes, teen mentoring program, expansion of gymnasium operations, summer lunch program expansion, community learning centers, virtual recreation programming, mobile recreation.
$ 1,100,000
Community Interventionist Program: $500,000: Expand the reach of the Long Beach Activating Safe Communities interventionist team in high impact communities (high poverty, high COVID rates and high violence) to outreach to community and reach families impacted by
community violence and bridge access to family supportive service.
Re-Entry Program Pilot $600,000 Integrate services for people reentering from incarcerated settings as many people are being released due to COVID concerns in the prison and jail systems. Yet, returning home and relaunching their lives in the midst of COVID is even more challenging as services are scattered and now virtual. The pilot would integrate mental health, employment, and supportive services including COVID testing and vaccination.
Mental Health Crisis Response Pilot: $600,000: Provides community responder team to respond to calls for service that do not require police. These responders could be dispatched to lower-risk 911 calls related to mental health, addiction, and collaborate with current homeless response teams.
Sponsor
Sponsor
HOMELESSNESS (totals $12 million)
Modular Shelter Units $1,725,000 Purchase and site set up of 25 modular units that will be located at the Multi-Service Center to provide temporary shelter and engagement for persons seeking services.
Mobile Outreach Station: $3,000,000 Provides people experiencing homelessness greater access to resources and linkages to service through expanded mobile services. The two Mobile Stations will consist of six outreach workers, four case managers, and representatives from partner agencies that will provide outreach services, intake and assessment, case management, referrals, and
other social service programs. Services will be provided five days a week and can include programming on days that the MSC is closed.
Property Acquisition: $2,000,000: Provides funding towards property acquisition and/or capital improvements towards the development of interim or permanent housing.
Health Department HEART Program Operations: $125,000: Provides two years of programming, beyond staffing, for the Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART) Programming costs include vehicle outfitting, fuel and maintenance, as well as program materials consisting of outreach incentives, hygiene kits, PPE, and technology for staff out in the field.
Mobile Restrooms and Showers: $400,000: Provides for the purchase of a trailer that has showers and restrooms along with the truck to pull it to increase access to restrooms and hygiene services.
Motel Vouchers: $500,000: Provides non-congregate sheltering for people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic while they are being connected to the City’s Multi-Service Center for case management and services.
Local Alternative Subsidy: $3,750,000: A local Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) will quickly create supportive housing for 75 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. Through partnership with a nonprofit, Long Beach would provide case management,
supports, and rental assistance to persons experiencing homelessness.
Training through Social Enterprise: $500,000: Provides training and income-generating opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. The Department of Health and Human Services would partner with a nonprofit agency to create an affordable healthy food market at the convenience store owned by the City of Long Beach at 6841 Atlantic Blvd. that would provide supported employment
opportunities for young adults who are experiencing homelessness.
Sponsor
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