Richardson's Dec. 2020 proposal was initially derailed by Councilman Al Austin who said it should be sent to a Council committee to gauge community support. At the Committee meeting, Austin noted a lack of letters in support, delaying the naming to a subsequent Committee meeting. Austin then didn't attend the subsequent Committee meeting, enabling Committee member Councilwoman Cindy Allen to decline to make a motion to support the proposed naming. Without a motion pending to advance the item, Committee chair Supernaw relied on extemporaneous advice by a Deputy City Attorney who (without citing authority) said letting the public speak without a motion pending wouldn't be appropriate (effectively silencing members of the public who were prepared to testify in support.) (LBREPORT.com coverage here.) That Council Committee has since been replaced by a new Committee, leaving the proposed naming (literally) nowhere.

As LBREPORT.com noted at the time, the net effect left naming-initiator Richardson or other Councilmember(s) able to agendize the item for full decision-making Council vote. The Richardson-Uranga June 1 agenda item does exactly that, breaking through the political logjam with an agendizing memo here that summarizes Mr. Pressburg's years of community service and states:

[Richardson-Uranga June 1 agendizing memo]....Despite the support of a number of notable neighborhood leaders and local elected officials, this recommendation has yet to have an opportunity to be considered by the full council, even after being approved 6-0 by the Parks and Recreation Commission.

During the March 23rd meeting of the Government, Personnel, and Elections Oversight Committee, it was argued that this item should be reconsidered at another date due to a lack of community support, noting that there were no public comments or letters submitted to the Committee in support of the item. A substitute motion to withdraw this [renaming] proposal, pending evidence of public support, was approved unanimously.

This proposal was once again considered at a subsequent [Committee] meeting on May 11th. At this meeting, letters of support from eight Uptown neighborhood association presidents and the Deforest Park Neighborhood Association, where the park resides, were submitted to the committee. In addition, several individuals were signed up to testify in support of the proposal during the public comment period. The vote was once again postponed, and those signed up for public comment were not given an opportunity to express their support of dedicating the park.

Although the process has delayed a vote on this item, the positive impact Dan has had on Uptown is apparent, and it is clear that the greater North Long Beach community is supportive of this action. In celebration of Dan's service to our neighborhoods, South Street Parkway should be dedicated in his honor and named "Pressburg Parkway."

[Scroll down for further.]