Belmont Shore Residents Association
MINUTES
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
November 12, 2015
The meeting was called to order by President Terence Endersen at 6:00 pm. The other members of the Executive Board present were: Ray Bradford, Aileen Colon and Julie Dean, as well as Vice President Max Alavi and Treasurer Robert O'Connor. 33 additional BSRA members and visitors were present.
The agenda for this meeting and the minutes of the October 08 meeting were approved.
LBPD East Division Commander Griffin provided the following information:
Third District Councilwoman Price’s office updates included:
Dede Rossi, Belmont Shore Business Association advised of the following:
Eric Forsberg, the Parking Commission resident representative discussed the following:
President’s Report:
Treasurer
Currently bank balance is at $3646.00. Please send in BSRA membership renewals if you have not yet renewed.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:35pm
Submitted by:
Julie Dean, Executive Board
MINUTES
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
November 12, 2015
The meeting was called to order by President Terence Endersen at 6:00 pm. The other members of the Executive Board present were: Ray Bradford, Aileen Colon and Julie Dean, as well as Vice President Max Alavi and Treasurer Robert O'Connor. 33 additional BSRA members and visitors were present.
The agenda for this meeting and the minutes of the October 08 meeting were approved.
LBPD East Division Commander Griffin provided the following information:
- LBPD responds to Priority 1 calls for service in an average of 5.0 minutes or less, which is a very good response time. Commander advises residents to do everything possible to not put yourself in danger, as crime is going up.
- Assaults: domestic abuse by a dating couple in front of Le Donut, where victim was punched; drunk in public at St Joseph where officer was assaulted, suspect was arrested; transient harassing customers at Pete’s coffee, mental team was called, resisted arrest, brought into custody; a man got out of a white van in the 200 block of Pomona, grabbed a young woman’s wrist (battery), then walked back to van and left, detective following up; drunk woman assaulted officer when she was being brought into custody; two drunk people drove up and started to steal a resident’s “slow down” sign at 2nd and Santa Ana, resident used Bear Pepper Spray on suspects which is illegal, he was arrested and drivers were cited for a misdemeanor (Bear Pepper Spray is a caustic chemical used to ward off bears in the wild).
- Residential Burglaries: door was left unlocked by resident with $300 cash visible which was stolen; garage door not completely closed, locked vehicle in garage was broken into, items stolen from car; victim was home, suspect broke in and left on stolen bike but was then caught and arrested; victim at home in 200 block of Quincy, suspect took purse and fled; suspect entered through garage in 100 block of Claremont, stole unlocked gun left on counter while victim was at home; suspect stole bike from home in 100 block of Bay Shore, escaped in stolen vehicle, was caught the following day.
- Commercial Burglaries: Kitchen Studio and Chuck’s windows broken and items stolen; a black male wearing a hoodie and a backpack and carrying a handgun demanded money from the Liquor Store in the 100 block of Granada and then left.
- Update on 111 Roycroft: all of the problem tenants were successfully evicted by the end of September, the owner still owns the place but there have been no calls in the last two months and there has been no civil suit because the owner has done what was asked.
- Update: In August a resident asked about noise pollution on 2nd Street and Ocean, specifically motorcycle noise. Commander Griffin advised checks occurred at PCH & 2nd and on Ocean, from Alamitos to Redondo, as part of the Labor Day weekend police program. She advised the city has some grant money for ALPR cameras (automobile license plate reader), where every license plate gets captured and added into the system. She has been working with motor detail and recommended Ocean & Ximeno and 2nd & PCH for this great investigative tool. Complaints have gone down.
- Update: LBPD hasn’t had good data on the bicycle theft and chop shop gangs but has conducted bike stings. They are now working on confidential informants to go after the people who are buying the bikes from the bike gangs.
- On Nextdoor.com a victim described a suspect brandishing a firearm (misdemeanor) while he was at the car wash at 7th & PCH. The victim called LBPD but did not give the full license plate and did not want anything done. The Commander asks that residents please call in and be willing to give all information and go full steam so that they can catch suspects and avoid further crimes.
- A resident brought up that there were 7 hit and runs in the crime report this month. The Commander advised that many of them are sideswiping in impacted areas where streets are smaller/narrower.
- The Commander explained that they make a good number of DUI arrests from folks coming out of 2nd St area and that if they are seen coming out of bars, the bars are held responsible.
- A Corona Resident complained about the homeless who are sleeping by Chase Bank, explaining that they’ve created an encampment and often urinate in the alley on garage doors. The Commander said that Chase must call and be willing to prosecute. The homeless can only be cited and moved along unless they have warrants. She explained that it’s really a health department issue, but that multiple citations leads to arrest and then they usually move on because they don’t want to be bothered. 70% of our transients are truly transient, while 30% are local and have not been willing to come in to the services provided by the city.
- A resident complained about the Vons recycling center; the Commander advised that, for some reason, our Vons has to have a recycling center, which does cause problems with transients returning recyclables.
Third District Councilwoman Price’s office updates included:
- Julie Malecki introduced new 3rd District Office Director, Jack Cunningham
- They Mayor announced Army Corps of Engineers will be taking up a 3 year breakwater study. The city has been asking the federal government for 15 years to look into the breakwater and to allow for some tidal flow/wave circulation in the area. The councilwoman is concerned for Belmont Shore, the Peninsula, Naples and the port and asks that residents please engage and provide input.
- The business commission has been very plugged in to the minimum wage increase discussion. At the Bay Shore Library at 4pm on Friday, November 20th, the Economic Development meeting will take place where the city will take public input and testimony on the minimum wage study.
- Two weeks ago City Council moved forward with the Belmont Shore parking study, choosing the less expensive study (approximately $100,000). The study is supposed to take about two years but Suzie has asked for it to be done in one year. Mike Conway is overseeing this study and will be meeting with vendor soon; Julie will mention to them that there are no details as to what options they would be looking into, per resident request.
- Ocean Repave is in work and should conclude November 25 unless there are any hiccups. The concrete, sidewalk curbs and gutters are first and the repave is last. The bike lane is to slow down traffic.
- A Resident complained again that the Palm Trees lining Ocean Blvd are out of control. Suzie has said that there is no money in the budget but the branches are dangerous. Julie explained they’re on a 5 year trim cycle and that nesting season will start soon, when no work is allowed, but she will look into this further.
- Sidewalk program renovation: Park between 1st & Division; Belmont between Ocean & Livingston; Granada between Division & The Toledo; St Joseph between First & Division. Sidewalks are evaluated based on how bad they are, how much they’re used and how much money has been set aside in the budget. Additionally, there are–lists from the resident meetings and calls coming into the District office. This information has been turned into Public Works. If there’s a location in dire straits that is not on the list, please email [email protected] and they will compare to the list and evaluate.
- There is a meeting mid to late November with Public Works to discuss the $480,000 to fix streets this year. Of residential streets out of General fund only 1-2 residential roads in the district: Nieto between Appian and Broadway is one. Otherwise there are some funds for maintenance and potholes. A resident complained that Corona near the alley is bad.
- The 2nd & PCH project is still taking input. The EIR scoping is in works and the EIR will come out in summer of 2016.
Dede Rossi, Belmont Shore Business Association advised of the following:
- The minimum wage discussion is serious. We have empty storefronts and the business community is very concerned about a $15.00 per hour minimum wage. They believe it will mean businesses will have to cut down on employees, which will affect customer service.
- Please Shop Local! Free 2 hour parking at meters will be offered for Holiday Shopping the weekends of December 12-13 and 19-20, which will include Carolers and Santa.
- The 33rd Annual Belmont Shore Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 5 with the theme of Miracle on 2nd Street. Street closures will start around 2pm on Livingston, where parade participants line up. Folks can put out chairs at 5pm. Alcohol is not allowed. Side streets will close at 5pm. 2nd street will close at 5pm. Free parking in beach lots and at Appian Way Marine Stadium after 3pm.
- The Roe Express Fish Market should open within next few weeks and the main restaurant, called Roe, should open in about 6 months. The original chef has returned. The parking lot is being brought up to code.
- Snow Monster should be opening within the next month.
- Super Mex is remodeling. Dede will follow-up on plans and advise.
- Quinns got a great review in the Press Telegram.
Eric Forsberg, the Parking Commission resident representative discussed the following:
- Approved $20,000 for BSBA to promote business area with LED lights in median area. This lighting system can be adapted to any holiday by color and is a new approach that will hopefully be more cost-effective.
- The money from the meters in front of the Bay Shore Library goes directly to the Bay Shore Library.
- Old meters in parking lots will be reviewed in 2016.
President’s Report:
- AIDs ride will be this weekend from 7a-4p at the Granada launch ramp.
- In the spring of 2016 the city will start the RFP process to study the Naples sea level rise issue due to climate change. Suzie advised they will also be studying the Peninsula and the Belmont Shore area.
- Per a Long Beach Post article, there has been a behavior change with the local coyotes. Long Beach has created a Coyote Management Plan (see link below) and residents can report sightings and encounters any of the following ways: by using an online form at www.longbeach.gov/acs/wildlife/coyote-report, by emailing [email protected] or by calling (562) 570-7387. Coyotes will be euthanized if they attack humans and possibly a pet. There are more coyotes now than ever before and they are predators, so please keep cats and small dogs indoors.
Long Beach Coyote Management Plan:
http://www.longbeach.gov/acs/media-library/documents/wildlife/living-with-urban-coyote/coyote-management-plan/ - AES station conversion: The City of Long Beach is considering taking over cooling plants to recycle water. On Thursday November 19 at 7pm at Kettering Elem School there will be a discussion with Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust and Heal the Bay. The plant has to eliminate their cooling pumps because they intake wildlife. There has been some talk that the circulation of the pumps improves water quality.
- There was a SEADIP meeting last week where the scope and details on what is going to happen was discussed. Residents are still able to comment before Nov 20th. See http://lbds.info/seadip_update and http://bit.ly/LBDS-EnvReports
Treasurer
Currently bank balance is at $3646.00. Please send in BSRA membership renewals if you have not yet renewed.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:35pm
Submitted by:
Julie Dean, Executive Board