Need to Dust Off Proposal to Find Corporate Partnerships for City Revenue – Let’s Do What San Diego Does

San Diego has set out with an aggressive program to lure corporate America to pay up to be the “official” something of the City of San Diego. And it is working big time.

San Diego got $1.25 million for its general fund from designating Verizon the “Official Wireless Partner” of the City.

San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union is paying San Diego $100,000 annually designated “Official Credit Union Partner” of the City of San Diego.

Pepsi forked over a $1.5 million signing fee and a minimum of $250,000 each of five years, as well as thousands of dollars in donated products and marketing and advertising, as the “Proud Sponsor of the City of San Diego.”

San Diego partnered with General Motors to provide 29 vehicles for the city’s lifeguards and five vehicles for the city’s police and fire departments free of charge. In return, small graphic signs on the vehicles are placed advertising GM as the official sponsor.

The city to our south also developed partnerships to receive emergency equipment from Cardiac Science.

Again, the partnerships have resulted in cash for the city and discreet emblems on the vehicles.

New York landed a $33 million contract with Snapple in return for the drinks being sold exclusively at city facilities. New York also received $19.5 million to establish a NY City Official History Center that is owned and operated by the City but funded by the History Channel.

Costa Mesa partnered with a local skateboard apparel manufacturer to sponsor the operation and maintenance of a skateboard park in the city – paying the city $30, 000 each year for naming rights, the right to hold events and a link on the City web site.

During our budget discussions I will bring this concept back to the council. We need to look at sources of revenue that do not include taxing our residents.

July 23 City Manager Weekly Newsletter

Friday Newsletter 7-23-10

Message from City Manager to City Employees Regarding the Budget

Dear Employees:

Today I released our Proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Budget, and Mayor Foster released his Budget Recommendations. To address our $18.5 million structural deficit in these very challenging financial times, I have proposed the following five-pronged approach:


1. Department reductions: Asking all departments to make further reductions

2. Potential new revenue : Continuing to explore new revenue to reduce the deficit

3. Government reform: Consolidating departments and improving efficiency

4. Employee contributions: Negotiating to reduce employee costs

5. Pension reform: Negotiating to reduce current and future pension costs


I encourage you to read more about this at www.longbeach.gov . Online you will find the two-page Budget Snapshot, and a larger 24-page document that details the budget solutions. Department Directors will be talking to employees in each affected area to keep everyone apprised of the potential impacts. While I regret that these recommendations will have an impact on our organization and on some of our employees, as a City we must take these actions in order to solve the budget deficit. Additionally, I am hopeful that, through negotiations, our employee organizations will once again choose to be a part of the solution. Without additional assistance from our employees this year, an additional 85 positions will need to be eliminated, causing significant service reductions to core services.

Despite our budget challenges, as a City family we have accomplished a great deal over this past year. Part of the Budget presentation today was to highlight all the great work our employees have done, from keeping our City clean and safe, to creating new parks, to repairing the most amount of streetwork in a decade, and many other successes. This budget will be difficult on us all, but I am confident that Long Beach will continue to be a leader in California in providing quality services to our community.

PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER

Budget and Bronchitis

Council was given notice late Thursday that the release of the Mayor/City Manager Budget would be at a Friday press conference. Nothing new. Has happened every year I have served on City Council. So much for working together. I understand only two council people showed.

I am home with a copy of the very large budget. Once my medicine kicks in and I stop coughing, I will start looking at the proposals. My doc says I have bronchitis. Worse news is that I need to stay away from my 6 month old grand daughter until I have enough antibiotics on board to protect her.

Swearing In and Other Fun

I was sworn back into office yesterday by my partner of 30 years, Flo Pickett. My dear friends, Bob and Lela Nelson, drove down from Stockton for the ceremonies. My kids watched on TV and friends were in the chamber as well as over at the El Dorado Golf Restaurant.

The ceremonies were brief. Different this time around was the lack of hand-shaking and hugging by other councilmembers.

I again liken this city council to a group foster home (no pun intended). We are put together and need to learn how to get along.

Sadly, what was a routine selection of the most senior councilmember for vice mayor has now become a political game. Unbeknownst to me, several council members agreed prior to the election to support a junior council member after they received her endorsement for their campaigns.

I nominated Councilman Patrick O'Donnell because he and Councilwoman Rae Gabelich are the senior members of the council -- and Rae declined being considered for Vice Mayor. Patrick received 4 votes -- and other 4 held out for Councilman DeLong to return from the Bahamas so they can have their 5th vote. However, with Councilman James Johnson absent at our next meeting -- it maybe back to 4 to 4.

What would stop the game and make it more equitable is if the Council were able to rotate the Vice Mayor every year instead of every two years. That my friends, would take a charter change and a vote by the residents.

Thank you.

Would like to thank the resident who sent this letter to the editor:

Taking care of business

The citizens of the 5th District in Long Beach are fortunate to have a councilperson of such professional ability to represent us downtown.

As further evidence, my street just had the sidewalks repaired on both sides of the block and the work was accomplished in a few days with a minimum of inconvenience and was very expertly engineered to be better than what it replaced.

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske keeps us advised, via the web, of any problems that may arise, of any matters which affect us as property owners, and of any news that we should be aware of that may affect us.

In other words, she is hands-on for all of us.

Ted Conlin

A big thank goes to the Public Works staff who actually oversees the repair of our sidewalks.

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Friday Newsletter Final

Reasonably Available Is Standard Used by Other Legislative Bodies

Look at the LA Times today and you can read the latest polling on just how low elected officials are held. The feeling many Americans have is that elected officials consider themselves "better" than the average resident.

Then consider a Long Beach City Council that tolerates one of its members phoning in a vote from the Ritz Carlton in the Bahamas.

I've done a little checking on how other legislative bodies in California handle the Brown Act requirements for teleconferencing and most apply the standard:

Commissioner confirmed that his location was reasonably accessible to the public, such that any member of the public could participate in the teleconference from his location if he or she wished to do so.

Don't know about you, but last time I checked, the Bahamas is a foreign country, not readily accessible to the public. And because a passport is required to go there, "any member of the public" can't participate without paying to get a passport and a ticket. Ah, noblesse oblige.