Bits 'n' Pieces
LB Water Commissioners Elect New Officers
The Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners unanimously elected Harry Saltzgaver as Board president at their last regularly scheduled Board meeting. Frank Martinez was elected vice president and Art Levine was elected secretary. Officers will serve from October 2019 to September 2020.
Harry Saltzgaver was appointed to the Board of Water Commissioners by Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster in October 2012 and previously served as president of the board from 2013-2015.
Commissioner and immediate past-president Gloria Cordero congratulated the incoming president noting, “Sincere congratulations to my friend and colleague. In addition to his passion for his community, Harry has experience and knowledge about the city and builds successful partnerships with those we serve.
“I’m honored to have this vote of confidence from my colleagues,” said Harry Saltzgaver, president of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. “I’m looking forward to serving my community in this capacity and ensuring we continue our good work of water supply reliability and efficiency.”
Miller Foundation Announces New President
The Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation is a nonprofit grant making organization dedicated to treating the concept of the “whole child.” After a 6-month executive search, the Miller Foundation’s Board of Trustees announced its selection of Darick J. Simpson as its fifth president. Simpson succeeds long-term president, Walter M. Florie, Jr., who is retiring after serving 28 years at the Miller Foundation.
A resident of Long Beach, Simpson is a recognized leader in the community. Simpson joins the Miller Foundation after serving as the executive director of the Long Beach Community Action Partnership (LBCAP) for the past 13 years. Under his leadership, LBCAP grew from a staff of 24 people and a $1.3 million budget to a staff of 80 and a $10 million budget. Today, LBCAP is a leading non-profit in assisting individuals and families strive for self-sustainability.
Additionally, Simpson serves on various national, state and regional boards including the PBS SoCal Advisory Board and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Commission.
Simpson holds a B.A. degree in communications from the University of Alabama and a M.A. degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.
Today’s US-China Climate
All eyes will be focused on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s ambitious global infrastructure program when the Long Beach-Qingdao Association (LBQA) hosts its annual business luncheon on Friday, Nov. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the 14th floor of the downtown Long Beach law firm, Keesal, Young & Logan, located at 400 Oceangate.
How does the BRI impact US businesses in today’s volatile relationship climate? And the citizens of other Chinese trading partners?
The program features keynote speaker Ambassador Zhang Ping from the Los Angeles Chinese Consulate and includes officials from the City of Long Beach, the Honorable Vice Mayor Dee Andrews and the Port of Long Beach, Executive Director Mario Cordero.
International business experts Clayton Dube, from the USC US-China Institute, and Brian Peck, from the USC Gould School of Law Transnational Law and Business Center, will share about their recent experiences with the BRI.
“Long Beach has been a sister city with Qingdao, China, for almost 35 years,” said Mary E. Barton, Ph.D., president of LBQA. “Never have we seen our two countries so polarized while the friendship between our two cities is the strongest I’ve seen through the increase of cultural and business exchange activities!”
Dr. Barton, who is representing the City of Long Beach in leading a trade delegation to Qingdao’s International Import Expo later this month, is not concerned about politics’ impact on citizen diplomacy. She smiles at a recent text message from an exchange student from Qingdao who had stayed with Dr. Barton during her high school years in the US. “She’s doing well at law school now; I’m so proud of her.” Dr. Barton reflects affectionately, “she’s such a bright, young woman, and I still remember taking her shopping for her prom dress!”
The Long Beach – Qingdao Association was founded in 1985, following a trip to Qingdao by City leaders who realized Long Beach had much in common with its “big sister.” Today, the LBQA is one of the members of Sister Cities of Long Beach, Inc., and a member of Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C. LBQA members follow the theme of “citizen ambassadors” with a people-to-people mission, as envisioned by the original SCI founder, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower back in the 1950’s.
For more information and to RSVP for the Annual Business Lunch, please visit http://www.lbqa.org/lbqa/2019/08/28/2019-annual-fall-luncheon/
California Safest Cities
Have you ever wondered which cities in California are the Safest Places to live? Safewise compiled FBI crime reporting data in order to establish which cities are safe havens and which are struggling to combat crime. They then took this information and compared it to their proprietary State of Safety study to discover any disconnects between perception and reality when it comes to crime.
Check out the full report here: https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-california. Long Beach failed to make this list.
Overall 86% of this year’s safest cities are on the list for the second consecutive year. And Northern California gained one more city this year, to claim 40% of the state’s safest cities – plus the number one city, Danville, is from the north. But Southern California continues to dominate, with 30 of its cities making the list.
Interesting Findings
- Every city on the list had fewer than two violent crimes per 1,000 people, and 26% saw fewer than one.
- California’s violent crime rate is slightly higher (4.51) than the national rate of 4.49.
- At 26.08, the state beats the national property crime rate of 27.11.
- 92% of cities had lower property crime rates than both state and national averages.
- Despite lower property crime rates, Californians ranked property crime as their biggest safety concern on our State of Safety survey, with 64% ranking it number one – that’s five points above the national average.
- 21% of respondents cited personal experience with property crime in the past year, and 16% reported experiencing a violent crime.
This report is part of SafeWise’s annual Safest Cities study. They look at every city in every state in the country to discover which cities are the safest places to live. This study is more than a comparison of crime rates, but a salute to the communities that are banding together to combat crime.
City of Long Beach Named in Rent Control Lawsuit
By Katy Grimes, California Globe
The California Legislature passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law Assembly Bill 1482 to impose statewide rent control by capping rent increases. Assembly Bill 1482 by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), prohibits California landlords from raising rent by more than 7 percent plus inflation over the course of a year.
Almost simultaneously in July, the City Council of Long Beach passed the “Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance,” which requires a property owner to pay to a tenant the equivalent of two months’ rent for a unit of similar size in the City (up to $4,500) for any reason the owner needs to repossess the rental property.
AB 1482 also requires (among other things) that an owner pay a tenant one month’s rent – characterized by the law as “relocation assistance,” the lawsuit says.
Named as defendants in the federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, are California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the City of Long Beach. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Paul Beard of Alston & Bird, names Better Housing for Long Beach and Joani Weir as plaintiffs.
California voters soundly defeated a ballot measure less than one year ago in November 2018 that would have allowed for rent control in every city across the vast state. Proposition 10 would have repealed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which limits the use of rent control in California, but voters defeated it.
However, rent control advocates vowed to soldier forward and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he had plans to make a deal on new rent control policies when he took office, the Globe reported. “We need new rules to stabilize neighborhoods and prevent evictions, without putting small landlords out of business,” Newsom said during his State of the State address. “I want the best ideas from everyone in this chamber. Here is my promise to you, get me a good package on rent stability this year and I will sign it.”
And he did sign it.
County Added 18,200 Jobs
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Los Angeles County remained unchanged over the month at 4.4 percent in September 2019 from a revised 4.4 percent in August 2019 and was below the rate of 4.6 percent one year ago. Civilian employment increased by 7,000 to 4,880,000 in September 2019, while unemployment declined by 1,000 to 225,000 over the month.
The civilian labor force increased by 6,000 over the month to 5,105,000 in September 2019. (All of the above figures are seasonally adjusted.) The unadjusted unemployment rate for the county was 4.5 percent in September 2019.
The California seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in September 2019, 4.1 percent in August 2019, and 4.1 percent a year ago in September 2018. The comparable estimates for the nation were 3.5 percent in September 2019, 3.7 percent in August 2019, and 3.7 percent a year ago.
Between August 2019 and September 2019, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County increased by 18,200 to reach 4,556,700.
Government added 15,400 jobs over the month. Following the end of summer recess, local government educational services added 17,900. These additions were offset by declines in local government excluding educational services for a total gain of 15,500 jobs in local government which were further offset by a decline of 100 in federal government employment.
Educational and health services reported an increase of 13,600 jobs. Private educational services (up 9,200) made up 68 percent of the industry increase. Health care and social assistance also contributed to the job gain (up 4,400 jobs).
Leisure and hospitality recorded a month-over employment decline of 3,300. Reductions in accommodation and food services (down 3,400) were slightly offset by an increase of 100 jobs in arts, entertainment and recreation.
Information posted a decline of 2,500 jobs, primarily in motion picture and sound recording (down 1,800).
Other industries posting month-over declines were: construction (down 1,900), financial activities (down 1,900), other services (down 1,000), professional and business services (down 800), and manufacturing (down 700 jobs).
Acura Grand Prix Tickets Now on Sale
Next April 17-19, race fans will feel the rush at the 46th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, with tickets for America’s #1 Street Race now on sale.
Featuring a variety of on- and off-track activities for the entire family, the Grand Prix will be headlined by the third round of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series, expected to include celebrated drivers such as defending series champion Josef Newgarden, five-time series champion Scott Dixon, back-to-back Long Beach winner Alexander Rossi and past Long Beach winners James Hinchcliffe, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay battling wheel-to-wheel on the famed 1.97-mile, 11-turn circuit through downtown Long Beach.
In addition to the Indy cars, the 2020 Acura Grand Prix will feature the third round of the of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, featuring prototype and two GT sports car divisions; the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge on Friday and Saturday nights; Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks, and, new-for-2020, the powerful sports cars of the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX series and Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge, celebrating classic Formula Atlantic cars from the 1970s and 1980s.
The event’s menu of family entertainment will also include free Friday and Saturday night concerts, as well as the Lifestyle Expo featuring a large Family Fun Zone with racing simulators, kids’ racing cars, computer games and action sports.
Add to that driver autograph sessions from all racing series, special events and exhibits highlighting the Grand Prix’s history, the popular Food Truck Experience and Sunday’s Mothers Exotic Car Paddock, it’s a weekend that will be packed full of activity.
Ticket prices range from $34 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $155 for a three-day ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, NTT IndyCar Series Paddock access passes ($65 for three days or $27 per individual day), Super Photo tickets and an array of VIP Club packages.
Fans can select and pay for their 2020 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach seats, parking and paddock passes online at gplb.com. Ticket orders can also be placed by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 827-7333. A printed ticket brochure that includes a circuit map, ticket prices, order form and other information is also available.
City, Firefighters Reach Tentative Labor Agreement
The City of Long Beach has reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Long Beach Firefighters Association (FFA) that provides incentives and salary increases aimed at improving workforce productivity and skill levels.
Some of the incentives of the agreement include a new Paid Parental Leave program, an additional holiday and an increase in bilingual skill pay for employees that assist residents with limited English language proficiencies.
The tentative agreement includes the following major terms aimed at providing pay increases that are fair and fiscally sensible:
- Three-year contract from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2022.
- General salary increases of 3 percent in the first year, 3 percent at the start of the third year and 3 percent six months later.
- One-time payment of $2,000 in the second year (no general salary increase).
- Reopener to meet and confer regarding possible adjustments related to CalPERS pension reform.
- Bilingual pay increase from $0.80 to $1.20.
- Creation of new skill pay (Hazmat First Responder Operations Pay) to incentivize for training skills for providing public safety services.
- Modification to current skill pays (Emergency Apparatus, Fire Prevention and Battalion Chief Certification pay).
- Creation of a new Paid Parental Leave program that is conducive to the recruitment and retention of a qualified and diverse workforce.
- Additional Step 6 equivalent to 2.5 percent of Step 5 base hourly rate of the Battalion Chief classification.
- Agreement to convene a Joint Labor Management Committee to discuss issues related to the behavioral health benefits and services provided by the Employee Assistant Plan in effort to improve services.
The entire FFA membership voted to ratify the tentative agreement during the month of September. The agreement will now go before the City Council for public discussion and consideration.
The City of Long Beach and FFA representatives held eight meetings since May 2019 prior to reaching agreement. The tentative agreement would be effective through September 30, 2022. The total estimated cost for this three-year agreement is $10.17 million for the General Fund Group and $10.26 million for All Funds.
The FFA represents approximately 400 City of Long Beach sworn employees.
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