Long Beach Studios

If the news is correct, it appears that Long Beach Studios -- a new movie company -- will locate on the Boeing property in the 5th Council District.

Let's cross our fingers because this is about the 7th time I have been told the deal was on --only for it to be off again.

But this is exciting news if it is for real. Finally, the empty Boeing 717 property will be occupied and hopefully LB Studios will bring much needed jobs to Long Beach.

I am still hopeful something can be worked out to bring TESLA Motors to Long Beach as well --maybe to the Douglas Park property that sits vacant but has all the environmental clearances needed to go full steam.

Bottom line --"Long Beach is good enough, and smart enough, and doggone it people like us!! (To use the words of movie star and now US Senator Al Franken.)

Long Beach Airport Capital Improvement Plan

For all you readers interested in what the City is planning on doing to improve the parking and terminal at the Long Beach Airport, I have posted to the right of this article, the presentation given to the City Council last Tuesday from the Airport Director, Mario Rodriguez, on what is planned for the parking and terminal improvements.

It has been a slow process because of the two law suits filed against the City -- one by the Long Beach Unified School District and the other by the PTA. Both law suits were unsuccessful.

So now the City can proceed with improving airport parking and the terminal. Funds will come from airport passenger fees -- no general funds will be used.

Long Beach Airport Quiet Home Program

Last Tuesday, the Council received a final briefing on the Airport's Quiet Home Program.

Look to your right on the blog and you can read the powerpoint presentation that we reviewed on this program.

Funds for making homes and schools quieter in the higher CNEL paths are obtained from airport passenger fees -- not the City general funds.

If you need more information, please contact my council office at: 562 570-6932 or contact the Airport staff person coordinating the effort: sharon.diggs-jackson@longbeach.gov.

Long Beach Chamber Sends Positive Appeal to Tesla Motors

Thanks so much to all the readers who contacted the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, urging them to help recruit Tesla Motors to Long Beach.

You can read the very positive message, sent today by the Chamber's Executive Director, Randy Gordon, to the right of this posting. Just click on the document and it will enlarge to full screen.

I sent my thanks to Mr. Gordon and the Chamber. This was the positive boost we've needed to encourage Tesla to come to Long Beach.

Video not working

Oh, well the best laid plans...the video put up pointing out Long Beach can offer tax credits and Downey cannot in the battle to woo Tesla, crashed and is down...but Tesla got the point.

One more push to get Tesla to come to Long Beach

Haven't heard officially what decision Tesla Motors has made about where it will locate its plant that will produce the Model S and create 1,200 jobs. Also have not heard a peep out of our city officials about what is being done to recruit this job maker.

So I am doing one more push of letter writing and a 30 second video on You Tube showing why Long Beach should be selected over Downey. The mayor of Downey was a nice guy to take a gift basket to Tesla, but Long Beach has a great site at the Boeing property and we can give a tax credit in the enterprise zone for every job created...better than a gift basket wouldn't you say.

Residents Deserve An "Autopsy" To Find Out The "Cause of Death of Tesla Deal"

November 23, 2009-- Gerrie Schipske, councilwoman for Long Beach’s fifth district, has been outspoken in her desire to keep alive the possibility of Tesla Motors locating its plant in Long Beach.

She personally contacted Elon Musk, President of Tesla to ask him what the City of Long Beach was doing to encourage his company to locate there. She also mounted a letter writing campaign called "Long Beach -- We Can Do Better Than Downey."

She used her blog to prod Long Beach officials to actively market the City to get Tesla here. So today upon learning that Tesla has signed a letter of intent with Downey to locate a plant which will manufacture 20,000 electric vehicles and produce 1,000 jobs she issued the following statement:

"The taxpayers of Long Beach deserve a full explanation about who or what killed the deal to bring Tesla to Long Beach. How did we lose this revenue producing opportunity to Downey? Long Beach has so much more to offer to a business than most southern California locations -- we have manufacturing space at the Boeing site, nearness to freeways, an airport, a port, railroad, convention center, training programs at our local community college and most importantly a workforce ready and willing to work. We also have an enterprise zone that provides tax credits for employers. And just recently the City announced it won the 'Most Business Friendly City Award' in Los Angeles County.

So what went wrong?

Anyone who has worked in corporate America knows how important it is to develop positive relationships in order to do business, which is exactly what the City of Downey did and the City of Long Beach did not do.

Unlike the City of Downey, which marshaled its Mayor and Council to actively court Tesla through calls, letters, ads and personal outreach, Long Beach apparently treated Tesla as a 'second-class citizen' according to comments made to me and to the press by Tesla President, Elon Musk. (It would be interesting to examine how much time and effort was really expended by Long Beach officials and staff in recruiting Tesla.)

I would like to congratulate the City of Downey for getting Tesla, and thank them for helping to keep these important types of jobs in the region."

We've Got Trouble, Right Here in Long Beach City, Starts With T and Rhymes with P and its stands for PCBs

Ya got trouble,
Right here in Long Beach city!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for PCBs.
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in Long Beach City!


With apologies to Professor Harold Hill of Music Man fame, we apparently do have trouble right here in Long Beach City.

Seems like the US Environmental Protection Agency got tipped off by the O.C. District Attorney back in 2008 that there might be some hazardous things called PCBs a lurking over on the 33 acres owned by LCW Oil Operations -- yes, that same bundle of joy being adopted by the City of Long Beach in a land swap labeled "wetlands."

Remember that infamous day when city staff told the City Council, you need to hurry up and do this deal or the owner will walk away? Now or never was the battle cry from the council dais.

Well it is now many months later and we just find out that the owners of that parcel knew way back in February 2009 that the EPA wanted the land checked out for these hazardous substances and that EPA suspects several areas of the land have contamination.

So I am putting an item on the Council agenda (again) asking for full disclosure of what EPA found on the property, why it wasn't disclosed to the Council during negotiations and how the City can protect itself from winding up with property that is going to cost a bundle to clean up.

If you'd like to learn more...please go on line directly to EPA website's and feast your eyes on all the reports and letters about the problems on this property.

So After the Main Library's Roof Is Replaced -- How Is Park Being Replaced

The good news is that the roof of the main library is being fixed because even though it was meant to be park area or more precisely garden space, it leaked over the years.

The bad news is that the reason the roof of the main library that way in the early 1970's was because when the civic center and library were built, it reduced the amount of park space available at Lincoln Park.

In my research on the history of Long Beach I found a letter to the editor that outlines the concerns of some residents when Lincoln Park was taken for a civic center and main library. Ironically the writer was correct but no one listened:

The architect of the new main library is quoted as partially justifying the building's design on the basis of the thought that, "it provides more area for landscaping than the park it replaces."

Such a statement is surprising from a man who is in the business of designing things for people's use. Whether or not there is more landscaping than existed in old Lincoln Park is of no interest to those who realize that it takes more than landscaping to make a park.

Old Lincoln Park was the visible center of downtown, the social center for a large
number of citizens, and the 90-year-old repository for gigantic trees, donated benches, statues, cannons and outdoor markets.

It was accessible to everyone from the street, its users had full view of the activities of the street and in the park, it was reasonably safe because of its visibility from the street, and it had large chunks of lawn for snoozing or ball playing and lots of benches arranged for conversation or idling.

The new landscaping on the roof of the library is not a park; it has lost the vital connection with the street and will never be the center of anything except perhaps
crime. Access is by long flights of stairs or the crowded elevator in the City Hall lobby.

The seats are not arranged for comfortable conversation and face in, with no possible view of the active street nor the ocean. The little patches, of grass on the raised steps are of no use for any kind of activity, and there is no view into the area day or night from the street or plaza, a prime incentive for crime.

Finally, I'm sure the new landscaping which replaces the old park costs many times as much to maintain as did the old park.The city and its architects have, in the name of progress, destroyed Lincoln Park,one of the few things that was successful in the downtown and replaced it with plentiful landscaping whose only virtue is its stunning appearance from the upper floors of the City Hall. FRANK COLE, Long Beach

Land Swap Has Problems -- Still

Quietly, a memo was put in my in box from City management informing council that it has been discovered that the Orange County District Attorney filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the discharge of mineral oil possibly containing Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) from transformers formerly located within the Los Cerritos Wetlands property currently owned by LCW Partners, LLC.

Wait, this wasn't done recently. This was done in 2008 and the owners of the "wetlands" property never disclosed this during negotiations. It wook a call from the EPA on August 17, 2009.

The EPA has required the owners to submit a PCB Assessment Workplan because there are two sites known with PCBs and ten other sites needing assessment.

So here's what being recommended by city staff: "...prudence suggests that the city should not consummate the exchange and enter the chain of title while this enforcement action continues, and thereby be identified as a Potentially Responsible Party under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

You think?

How about requring staff to complete due diligence to see if there are other hazards and liabilities lurking out there before the deal is done?

I for one am asking the City Attorney to hold a closed session so we can "confer" with our negotiators on this mess, I mean real estate transaction. I am also asking the City Auditor, Laura Doud to look at this issue from the standpoint of financial liability.

You Saved Station 18

Thanks for the wonderful participation of residents in the 5th Council District who called, sent emails, signed petitions and turned out for the open house last Sunday at Station 18 -- the Council on a 9-0 vote approved restoring Firestation 18 and several other cuts to fire, police, library and recreation services!

Your efforts are most appreciated.

The work on the city's financial situation is far from over. We still need to look to remove inefficiencies, redundancies, and out dated services, programs and personnel in all city departments.

I am hopeful Mayor Bob Foster will not veto the restored cuts.

Remembering 9-11

I had the honor of being asked to speak at the 9-11 memorial arranged each year by LB Fire Fighter Gary Biggerstaff. Several hundred people crammed into Bennett street to see the crosses Gary had placed on his lawn as he has each year since the attack on the World Trade Center. Several young people sang. The crowd sang along.

The crosses with names help us remember the fire fighters and police who died that day. Gary does an incredible job helping us to remember the sacrifices that were made that day.

My remarks were brief, as I told people that on that day some ordinary people did some very extraordinary things and that what struck me the most about that day was that people who did not know each other had to rely upon each other and that perhaps we needed to remember this as we look around at the people who were gathered today --that the things that divide us in this country pale in comparison with the things that unite us.

I also added that 47 people from California died that day --including Dorothy Dearaujo, 82, of Naples, who was known as the neighborhood artist, drawing the area's boats, shops and homes in detailed water colors. An avid traveler, Dearaujo visited France, Australia, Italy and Brazil. She earned a bachelor's degree in art at California State University, Long Beach. She was survived by a son, Tim whom she had been visiting i Boston before she boarded United 175 that crashed into the south tower.

On that day, Dorothy and others boarded airplanes with strangers and no one knew what was going to happen on those flights. We never know what is going to happen on a given day. Perhaps we need to live our lives like it will be the last day or the last time we see people. Maybe we'd all be a little nicer, a little more civil, a little less critical.

Station 18 Open House -- Great Turnout -- Residents Are Angry About Cuts

Residents packed Fire Station 18 today to tour the station and to talk with firefighters. They picked up all the remaining signs that say "Save Station 18." They signed a petition opposing any cuts in service at Station 18. Most importantly they stopped to talk about their anger that a closure in Station 18 would even be proposed by the Mayor and the City Manager.

One resident remarked: "Why does downtown always view this section of the city as the golden goose? We pay taxes but everytime they need some place to cut, they do it over here. They need to get a grip or the goose may just fly away."

I am hoping the mayor and city manager are listening.

Open House for Station 18 this Sunday

Reminder: Open House at Station 18 this Sunday, Sept. 13 at noon. Come by and talk to the firefighters and sign a petition in support of keeping Station 18 open.

Council Worked Together Last Night on Budget

It was truly amazing to participate in the council deliberations last night. We worked together without rancor or nasty comments on restoring some of the cuts made to the budget by Mayor Foster and City Manager West.

Granted we were there til midnight and we still have more to do. But we made progress on restoring cuts to fire and police, library, recreation and infrastructure. Looks as if Station 18 will remain open all day long. But it isn't over yet.

We knocked back a proposal to go forward with digital billboards in redevelopment areas (again).

Four of us worked over the weekend on finding sources of revenue to restore cuts. Those four are: me, Councilmembers Gabelich, Uranga, and Garcia. We brought the proposals to the budget hearing and placed them on an overhead slide so the public could see what we were proposing.

The Council Budget oversight committee comprised of Councilmembers O'Donnell, Lowenthal and DeLong also had a list of restorations -- surprisingly our restorations matched in many places with the major exception that our 4 restored cuts to the Police Department.

Was the process perfect? No. But for the first time since I have been on the Council, there was deliberation, discussion and compromise in a professional, respectful manner. And that was worth the price of admission to the event.

My new book is published!

I just received a box from my publisher (Arcadia) and inside were several copies of my second book: "Early Aviation in Long Beach." (My first was "Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach.")

Each book took a year to research and to write.

I discovered lots of interesting historical facts about how Long Beach was the center of early aviation in the U.S. mostly due to Earl S. Daugherty (for whom our airport was named in 1930 at the opening of the Women's Air Derby Race).

Facts:

• Long Beach Day was featured at the Second Los Angeles International Air Meet in 1910. The LB Trophy for altitude was won by Arch Hoxsey who later in the meet tried to break his record and spun out of control.
• Long Beach was the site of the landing of the first transcontinental flight in 1911. Cal Rodgers flew from New York to Pasadena (crashing many times along the way in his Vin Fiz -- a replica of which is in the Smithsonian). The LB Chamber gave him $1,000 to get him to continue his flight from Pasadena and land in the water near the Pine Avenue Pier. Which he did, making aviation history. A year later, steps from his historic landing, he hit a bird, crashed and broke his neck.
• Ameila Earhart came to Long Beach to watch the air rodeo organized by Earl Daugherty in 1920. She asked for her first ride in an airplane and was taken up by Long Beach Poly High school graduate, Frank Hawks.
• It was one of Long Beach's first Aviation Commissioners, John Montijo, who taught Earhart how to do aerobatics and to fly solo. Earhart then flew in the Long Beach Air Rodeo with Daugherty and Hawks.
• Charles Lindbergh flew to Daugherty Field several times and was able to make an emergency landing after midnight because Long Beach had a light on its field -- a fact he thanked and lauded Long Beach for many times.
• Long Beach housewife and first woman licensed pilot, Gladys O'Donnell beat Amelia Earhart in the 1929 Women's National Air Derby.
• O'Donnell and Earhart were two of the organizers of the 99ers -- the first woman pilots organization.
• The Long Beach Municipal Airport - Daugherty Field Terminal was slated to open the day of Pearl Harbor. After the attack it was painted over and camouflaged and equipped with hot showers in order to house soldiers. In 1945, the pastel colors were returned and the terminal has been largely unchanged since.

There's a lot more in the book.

Voters Aren't Getting Their Money's Worth

Yeah, we met practically all day yesterday in City Council. And even though Dee Andrews' idea to allow homeless to sleep in their cars was mercifully taken off the agenda which would have lengthened the meeting probably until past the 11 pm at which it finally ended, we have yet to hold a budget hearing at which time councilmembers can vote on restoring the cuts made by Mayor Foster and City Manager Pat West.

What you did see was a whole lotta of disrespect going on and a mockery of the process.

While some councilmembers discussed the transfer of RDA funds and other aspects of the budget, others got up out of their seats,walked around, chatted with staff and themselves, and one even clapped after the City Auditor finished her presentation. A vote was switched (after prodding that the wrong vote had been cast) at the last moment so the WestPac couldn't get another chance to review a proposal that impacts their funds.

Makes one wonder if some have already decided and why we even bother to go through this charade every budget year.

The budget deadline is September 15th. Let's see how many more times between now and then a budget hearing is cancelled.

Interesting Information

Long Beach Airport

A recent US Department of Transportation survey determined that Long Beach Airport has the lowest fares of the top 100 airports in the nation. That's beause we charge air carriers the lowest fees to operate.

Rubber Duck Tours and Americans with Disabilities

In response to my request, the new Rubber Duck tour operations are assisting disabled customers to board the vessel for tours with an attendant who can help load a wheelchair. If that is not feasible, they can be picked up from land to the water dock in Shoreline Village which will eliminate the stair climb and allow staff to lower the individual into the vesse. In such cases, the tour route will be reversed and require the customer to provide 24-hour advanced notice.

City Requirements for Notices of Public Hearings to Change Effective August 13

Beginning August 13, new requirements for noticing of public hearings will take effect in the City of Long Beach. This will result in increasing community awareness about public hearings and an in effort to increase public engagement and participation. Changes taking effect include:

• The required noticing radius has been expanded to 750 feet around the subject site; for City or institutional project to 1,000 feet.
• In addition to property owners, all occupants (both residential and non-residential) must also be given notice.
• Site must now be posted with a 30" x 40" notice poster.

Last Summer Concert a Wonderful Success

Tonight we held the last concert of the summer at Good Neighbor Park on Studebaker and Barrios under the trees and near the lit gazebo to listen to the steelband music of Panjive.

Panjive is local and gave an outstanding concert. You can log on to their website and listen to what you missed: http://www.panjive.com/sound.htm

It was fun to watch the little kids come out in front of the band and dance to the music.

I really appreciate the contribution of Partners of the Parks which paid for the music and last year helped pay for the gazebo and benches. Signal Hill Petroleum donated the lights in the trees.

It was a nice way to end the summer.

Long Beach -- We Can Do Better Than Downey

See Press Telegram editorial about TESLA, Downey and Long Beach by clicking here

August 30, 2009 -- Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske today challenged Long Beach residents to make sure the City of Downey does not beat out Long Beach in the race to get TESLA Motors to locate its plant and bring 1,000 jobs. "I just learned that the Mayor of Downey is asking residents to send letters to TESLA in support of the electric vehicle company choosing their city over the City of Long Beach, " says Schipske who has been a vocal proponent of Long Beach doing more to encourage the electric vehicle manufacturer to the city. "We can do better than Downey and we need to let TESLA Motors know why they should come here."

Schipske prepared the following letter which she encourages residents to mail to Elon Musk, President of TESLA Motors, Main Corporate Mailing Address: 1050 Bing Street, San Carlos, CA 94070 or to email it to her by cutting and pasting it into an email (at district5@longbeach.gov) and she will forward it to him personally:

Dear Mr. Musk:

The residents of the City of Long Beach are excited at the possibility that your company will re-locate to Long Beach, bringing 1,000 or more jobs dedicated to the assembly of the Tesla S2, a four-door, all-electric family car that is projected to cost about $50,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. We understand that production would start in about two years, and when the plant is up to speed about 20,000 cars would be produced annually.

Long Beach has many advantages over other cities: our proximity to major freeways; the excellent workforce training available through Long Beach Community College; advanced technology education at California State University at Long Beach; and our enterprise zone that provides tax credits for hiring workers that can save thousands of dollars on your business' California income taxes.

The specific location in Long Beach you are considering (the Boeing 717 hangars) is directly across the street from Douglas Park, which when completed will include hotels, restaurants, retail and office complexes that would be available as your presence in Long Beach grows.

Additionally, Long Beach is committed to sustainability and lessening our dependence upon fossil fuel as demonstrated in the City's establishing an Office of Sustainability, the Green Port Plan and the annual 5th Council District's Solar and Sustainability Conference and Tour.

TESLA's presence in Long Beach would be a "win-win" for both your company and our city.

We look forward to rolling out the red- or better yet, the green-carpet when you make your decision to come to Long Beach!

Sincerely,


(please insert your name and address)

" The City of Long Beach needs every new job it can create, reminds Schipske. "Our City faces cuts in Police, Fire, Library and Parks and Recreation services. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity to bring an exciting job creator to Long Beach."
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