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| (Sept. 3, 2021, 5:55 a.m.) -- Councilman Al Austin, joined by Councilmembers Stacy Mungo and Suzie Price -- the latter two seeking re-election in 2022 -- plan to hastily agendize a Sept. 7 City Council item to "communicate the City of Long Beach's opposition to Senate Bill 9 and Senate Bill 10 to our state legislative delegation and Governor's office, expressing our serious concerns and urging a veto, if necessary."
Their action comes after the president of the Eastside Voice, Corliss Lee, urged voters to replace Council incumbents in CDs 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the 2022 election cycle for failing (along with Mayor Robert Garcia) since Dec. 2020 -- through the entire Assembly and state Senate voting process -- to agendize City Council opposition to the bills. The incumbents spurned months of public requests to do so, effectively letting the bills advance through multiple legislative voted actions without City opposition. SB 9, co-authored by former CD 1 Councilwoman no state Senator Lena Gonzalez (D, LB-southeast LA County) would require (except in historic districts) allowing four housing units on single family lots and prohibit requiring additional parking if the property is within half a mile of well-served public transit (including bus lines.) SB 10 would let a City Council majority enact an ordinance without CEQA public review of its impacts allowing up to 10 housing unit buildings on single family lots within half a mile of transit. "Long Beach has been working continuously to update our City's zoning, policies and ordinances to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation of additional housing, including affordable and workforce housing. However, SB 9 and SB 10 are not consistent with the efforts that our City has been undertaking, including significant public outreach and engagement, to facilitate the development of new, affordable housing, while maintaining the integrity and character of our neighborhoods, the three Councilmembers write in their agendizing memo. The three Councilmembes' stance is similar to a June 23 letter (previously reported by LBREPORT.com) in which Councilwoman Price voiced similar City Hall defensive verbiage on her Council letterhead "in her personal behalf." Addressed to "Long Beach Delegation to the State," Price stopped short of opposing SB 9 and said "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." (Like the Council's other incumbents, Price could have, but didn't, agendize SB 9 for Council policy action.) [Scroll down for further.] |       |
