Belmont Shore Residents Association
MINUTES
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
March 10, 2016
The meeting was called to order by President Terence Endersen at 6:00 pm. The other Executive Board members present were: Aileen Colon and Julie Dean as well as Vice President Max Alavi and Treasurer Robert O'Connor. 18 additional BSRA members and visitors were present. Executive Board member Ray Bradford was absent and excused.
The agenda for this meeting and the minutes of the February 11 meeting were approved.
Bay Shore Librarian Debi Vilander announced Spring Break Craft Week from Tuesday, March 29 through Saturday, April 2. The FREE week of crafts will include coloring a Mural, learning to create great paper airplanes and friendship bracelets, decorating mugs and glasses and more.
Debi also advised us that the first Saturday of each month is Craft & Movie day at 3pm at the library, free of charge. For those of you who attended the February meeting or read the minutes, stuffed animals are still mysteriously appearing amongst the books. It seems as if we have a wonderfully generous neighbor in our midst.
LBPD East Division Lieutenant Lieberman provided the following information:
East Division Patrol Resource Officer Johnny Dodson spoke about the following:
Guest Speaker, Lee Peterson, Sr. Media Relations Specialist Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project covered the following information:
Third District Councilwoman Price’s office updates from Jack Cunningham, District Office Director included:
Belmont Shore Business Association update:
Nothing to report as there was no representation.
Snow Monster has opened.
Parking Commission update:
Nothing to report as there was no representation.
President’s Report:
None
Treasurer’s Report:
Balance: $3851
Public Comment:
None
The meeting was adjourned at 8pm.
Submitted by:
Julie Dean, Executive Board
MINUTES
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
March 10, 2016
The meeting was called to order by President Terence Endersen at 6:00 pm. The other Executive Board members present were: Aileen Colon and Julie Dean as well as Vice President Max Alavi and Treasurer Robert O'Connor. 18 additional BSRA members and visitors were present. Executive Board member Ray Bradford was absent and excused.
The agenda for this meeting and the minutes of the February 11 meeting were approved.
Bay Shore Librarian Debi Vilander announced Spring Break Craft Week from Tuesday, March 29 through Saturday, April 2. The FREE week of crafts will include coloring a Mural, learning to create great paper airplanes and friendship bracelets, decorating mugs and glasses and more.
Debi also advised us that the first Saturday of each month is Craft & Movie day at 3pm at the library, free of charge. For those of you who attended the February meeting or read the minutes, stuffed animals are still mysteriously appearing amongst the books. It seems as if we have a wonderfully generous neighbor in our midst.
LBPD East Division Lieutenant Lieberman provided the following information:
- Lt Lieberman explained that he is responsible for the Belmont Shore 3:00pm – 1:00am shift.
- The new East Division office has opened at Schroeder Hall at Willow & Grand.
- At closing time on February 5, there was a bar fight outside of Dogz at 1:45am involving Long Beach residents and gang members. As the gang members were driving away they pulled out a gun and fired some shots, not hitting anyone.
- There was a street robbery at Quincy & 8th where some property was stolen from someone on the street.
- On March 6 a woman outside of Starbucks was yanked to the ground, her head hit a pole, the suspect stole her purse and got away, however a witness got a partial license plate number.
- There were a handful of the usual garage burglaries, where side doors were not locked.
- On March 6 a young woman was walking in Naples talking on her cell phone. At Savona Walk & The Toledo armed suspects approached her, demanded her phone and drove off, but witnesses at the scene and earlier scenes were able to provide good descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle. Police located and arrested 5 Samoan and Latino suspects and recovered the car, fake gun and additional stolen cell phones and other stolen items. The suspects committed two similar robberies near Rose Park earlier in the day. If convicted, suspects will serve significant time.
- LBPD would like to remind everyone to remain aware of their surroundings at all times, don’t be engaged in distracting behavior, such as walking and using your e-devices and report suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1. Also, please follow @LBPDrobbery on Twitter for weekly crime prevention tips.
- Resident Question: Are 90’s Hondas being stolen? Answer: Yes, for joyrides. It’s a good idea to increase layers of security on your car to make it harder to steal.
- Resident Q: Does the beach patrol have night vision goggles, because that might help them root out people sleeping on beach? A: Yes, however many of the homeless people or people sleeping on the beach do it during the day, because it’s safer. if they sleep at night, they often become victims.
- Resident Q: Has body-worn camera pilot test started? A: Starting late March/early April, a study of body-worn cameras will take place to test their effectiveness. The pilot test will occur in the LBPD West Division. They should be fully deployed with 50 cameras by mid-April. LBPD is working with CSULB and Urban Institute (a social and economic policy think-tank) to collect data which will assist in creating a model for the rest of the country.
East Division Patrol Resource Officer Johnny Dodson spoke about the following:
- Officer Dodson feels very fortunate to be a Quality of Life Homeless Outreach officer, looking for homeless people on the street and beach and trying to advise them of their options. He works 7am-5pm Tue-Fri, but sometimes does outreach at 4a or from 10p-2a. His territory is Ocean to Del Amo and Cherry to the border of Seal Beach. His non-emergency phone number is 562-435-6711.
- The homeless are in their situations due to loss of jobs, drugs or alcohol, mental health issues, etc. Officer Dodson is looking for long term solutions. He contacts them, advises them he’s here for them and offers them solutions and help. The city has a tremendous number of resources: education, the Multi-Service Center, enforcement of law (ticket 1st time, arrest 2nd time, give stay away orders 3rd time, which are usually the consistent abusers and those committing crimes). He reaches out to our homeless people every week.
- Officer Dodson works closely with Long Beach Health & Human Services’ Multi-Service Center for the Homeless. Their website explains the services available: social workers, showers, clothes, Section 8, Veterans assistance, mental health, rehabilitation, education on available resources. Most of the homeless people have his business card because he reaches out to them. He is trying to bridge the gap, understanding that they are people too. He believes we can work together to make a difference. During his communication with the homeless, he tells them they cannot drink, do drugs, steal things or he will take them to jail.
- Officer Dodson lives in Long Beach and wants the outreach program to work. He has been talking at all of the community meetings.
- Resident Q: Haven’t seen anything written about Officer Dodson and this program. Someone needs to write about this so that residents know what he’s doing.
- Resident Q: Large homeless issue on Ocean in front of City Hall. A: That area is being targeted by multiple agencies, like the Veterans Assistance and Multi-Service Center, who are going daily and offering services (doing similar things to Officer Dodson).
- CA Prop 47 changed some drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and has put a damper on what police can do. Heroin, Crack Cocaine, Opium, Hash, Meth, LSD, Date Rape Drugs are now a ticket, no longer a felony.
- Resident Q: How can we help police? A: Be aware; if you see something, say something. Call non-emergency number if you see loitering. Residents need to allow Police to contact them for follow-up; it shows that residents are serious and will bridge gap between police and residents.
- Resident Q: People are stealing from recycle bins. A: It is illegal to steal from recycle bins; if you see it happening, it’s important that you call police. Sometimes those people are looking through the trash for your mail and some have warrants, etc.
- Resident Q: How many homeless accept Officer Dodson’s services? A: This is a complicated answer. He makes multiple contacts and often these folks haven’t had good experiences with those in uniform. Example: after six months of contacts and communicating, he was able to house a veteran who was originally afraid of talking to him.
- Resident Q: Homeless bike theft ring. A: If you see someone riding a bike and carrying another bike, that’s suspicious so call police. Those guys are criminals.
- Stay away orders have been implemented on a few serious nuisance criminals and it has worked great. There are currently 2 people with stay away orders for 2nd Street, so if they have a stay away order, and are caught on 2nd Street, they are jailed. If this occurs enough times, they leave.
- Resident Q: Have seen dogs off-leash on beach and LBPD SUV not stopping and doing anything about it. A: The police are looking for criminal activity and animal control is in charge of that. Resident: Animal control is not doing anything about it because they don’t have enough staff; sometimes lifeguards have taken care of it. A: Officer may give them warning or a citation. Resident: Residents would appreciate enforcement. A: He will bring this up to chief and ask if officers have time to enforce and ensure they know laws.
Guest Speaker, Lee Peterson, Sr. Media Relations Specialist Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project covered the following information:
- The Port of Long Beach is the 2nd busiest port in the nation; Port of LA is the busiest. 40% of goods coming into US come through the two ports. About 15% of the nation's waterborne cargo travels via trucks across the Gerald Desmond Bridge (some of the Ports’ cargo travels by train and some heads up the 110 Freeway). The new bridge will be able to handle the world's largest, most efficient cargo ships, like the Ben Franklin.
- The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project will create a $1.47 billion Landmark Bridge and will generate about 3,000 jobs. When completed, the replacement bridge will be one of the tallest bridges of its kind in the United States, an icon for the City of Long Beach and Southern California. Cal Trans is the Port of Long Beach’s main partner on this project, along with the US Department of Transportation and Metro. The new bridge is not yet named.
- The two 515 foot towers are going up now (with tower construction cranes rising to nearly 600 feet); 90 columns will support the bridge and road, along with 80 cables, creating a cable-stayed design. The plan is to have nighttime lighting along the cables and towers. 100% of the steel for the bridge will to come from the U.S. The roadbed will clear 205 feet above the channel, whereas the current bridge is 155 feet above the water. The new bridge will have three lanes in each direction, with emergency shoulders, to improve traffic flow. The westbound section should be finished in 2017 and the eastbound in 2018, then demolition of the old bridge will begin. The new bridge is designed to last 100 years, withstand major earthquakes (the towers will shimmy) and handle high winds (cable-stayed designs exist in windy areas; the structures bend and sway, but don’t break).
- The 12 foot wide Mark Bixby Memorial Bike and Pedestrian Path will reside on the southern edge (ocean side); there will be two scenic spots along this path.
- Containerized cargo really got going in the 1960’s and soon took over import transportation. Not long after LA and Long Beach became top ports. The Gerald Desmond Bridge was built in 1968 but they had no idea the ports would become so busy and it was not built to accommodate what the ports have become today.
- Residents can download the Long Beach Bridge App to keep up on traffic conditions, closures and detours. You can also access www.newgdbridge.com for live 24/7 webcams, views of traffic and construction, historical information, FAQs and more.
- $15 million has been granted out through the Middle Harbor Mitigation program. $2.5M has been granted out for the bridge for filters in classrooms of schools near the bridge construction, planting trees as a means to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, funding electric cars for some hospitals, etc. The Project team is working to find additional funds to keep those programs going into the future for the community.
- Resident Q: Is there a recycle market for the old bridge’s materials? A: The metal and concrete will be recycled to the Middle Harbor and road projects.
- Resident Q: More ships, more containers, more trucks, our existing freeways are already parking lots. What is planned to accommodate all of this? A: Metro is working on a 710 freeway project where they would like to move more of the cargo that is trucked on the 710 by train instead. Currently 28% moves by train and the push is towards 50% which would reduce freeway congestion. The Alameda Corridor is being used and is at about 1/3 capacity, which was a business decision. There will always be trucks because they serve the Southern California area, where 52% of the cargo stays. Some of the 48% going to other parts of the US goes out of the Port via truck to downtown LA to the train depot. The original plan for the corridor was truck and rail, but that didn’t happen and it’s only rail. Rail has significantly increased and we’ve moved from 23% to 28% within the last few years. Long Beach is trying to reduce the impact.
- Belmont Shore is important to the Project team because we are impacted by view and air.
Third District Councilwoman Price’s office updates from Jack Cunningham, District Office Director included:
- SEASP (was SEADIP) community open house is Saturday, March 26 from 11am-3pm at the Best Western Golden Sails Hotel. The Draft EIR of the comprehensive 50 year plan should be out before the meeting. EIR will cover heights, density of traffic, etc.
- Third District Community meeting will be April 26 at Fire Station 14 at 5200 E Eliot St; Mayor Garcia will be attending.
- State of the 3rd District will be June 26 at the Art Museum at 5pm.
- The city has been moving forward on a citywide RV Parking ban ordinance. There are already ordinances in place for certain locations; sign installation is occurring in phases in the meantime for some of these problem areas. A resident advised that this has been happening on Ocean near the beach; Jack said he will follow-up.
- If residents have comments/complaints about leafblowers, please send feedback to Suzie.
- LED lighting is being installed throughout the city.
- To avoid issues, please keep rain gutters clear with El Nino weather.
- The city is starting a Bike Share program where bike riders can pick up a share bike at one station and drop it off at another station. Crews will circulate at night to pickup the bikes. The program will start off with 10 bike racks in DTLB and will later expand to 50 racks. The bikes are very light and will cost approximately $2 per hour.
- The Ocean Blvd Traffic Study is complete. It will soon be released and presented by Paul Van Dyke’s team.
- Resident Q: Pedestrian intersection at LaVerne & Ocean Blvd was repainted in white, but does not seem to be working. The paint that was used doesn’t appear to be reflective and it’s hard to see when you’re driving. Can it be repainted in yellow, as the crosswalk at this intersection is still quite dangerous? A: Jack will follow-up.
Belmont Shore Business Association update:
Nothing to report as there was no representation.
Snow Monster has opened.
Parking Commission update:
Nothing to report as there was no representation.
President’s Report:
None
Treasurer’s Report:
Balance: $3851
Public Comment:
None
The meeting was adjourned at 8pm.
Submitted by:
Julie Dean, Executive Board