[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6579342,"mediaKeyId","3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec","parentId",3090741,"title","Long Beach marks National Community Development Week; officials highlight CDBG, HOME and ESG investments","audioSeconds",245,"startMs",1594000,"endMs",1839000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec&start=1594&end=1839","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec/thumbnail_1594000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6579342/Long-Beach/Los-Angeles-County/California/Long-Beach-marks-National-Community-Development-Week-officials-highlight-CDBG-HOME-and-ESG-investments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579342-3117034c8191a0721831a9165fd0266d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194449&Signature=FPydRRakxk4Wgnf7L7qc0jOcwmFUhv1jDwy1kpnbQhZX1SSBlRt1RA6zkS4LnZCHKOJoT5BEVR3Rv3Wk0o7APQ3Ym5llc0G5hMGFdzXfOCs7DZfi5-UWqcaXH7GfsJye4lmtLPlOZE0SMROpITHxVfDg6OmLX-xaF0dTWB~2YkQYh4DT1urYylhYJrMYfxEZDNMMnP6qlPklDTSkvYdq88E7yDNMlyQdW4yhb4hqwDseo2FBQuQVlSDu9~nZHWAcqrpKph5Dxr61ekTvEg2owKn9Tah~8wlPElos~AMdO0H1jjsHMaJr7YvzF7JmyW7WlJLGUr7~DGisOUT5NqjMqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-23T04:48:57Z","article","Long Beach observed National Community Development Week during the April 22 City Council meeting with a presentation from the department of community development and a representative from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Megan Sorensen, bureau manager for Housing and Neighborhood Services, described the breadth of federal programs — Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships and the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) — and said the city has invested more than $30 million of CDBG and HOME funds in recent years to create more than 600 affordable housing units and to improve parks and playgrounds across the city. Sorensen said CDBG funding supports homeless services, small‑business assistance, accessibility improvements for seniors and infrastructure projects that connect communities to jobs and services.

Chin Woo Choi of the HUD Los Angeles field office thanked the city for longtime partnership and described HUD programs as flexible tools communities use for housing preservation, homelessness prevention and neighborhood improvements. Speakers noted the program’s 50‑year history and highlighted local activities including outreach, neighborhood leadership programming and partnerships with Long Beach City College’s Small Business Development Center for small‑business technical assistance.

The council accepted the presentation; no formal council action was required. Staff directed residents seeking more information to the city’s HUD grants web page.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Long Beach City Council Meeting 4/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and a visiting regional HUD official marked National Community Development Week with a presentation on CDBG, HOME and ESG funds, citing more than $30 million in recent local investments and projects that expanded affordable housing and upgraded parks.","taxTitle","Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California","taxId",4676,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6579347,"Residents press Long Beach council to oppose or reconsider SpaceX port use, citing environmental, labor and safety concerns",3130,3590000,6720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec&start=3590&end=6720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec/thumbnail_3590000.jpg","/articles/6579347/Long-Beach/Los-Angeles-County/California/Residents-press-Long-Beach-council-to-oppose-or-reconsider-SpaceX-port-use-citing-environmental-labor-and-safety-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579347-38955673a8a63ce209c89b4bfd6c2548/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194449&Signature=n4T~gKTIUNte~rnqb6e04HLxLEJJFog1jGzRIeKIbYTfAkj9d6PNj7bJzWdJHgs2eVbltpBG7wzZTH-ini0GLCgnPcVNoqumGzVi~y7PRmgG8eE8X4OKF694CrjOuUmJWkgzcBda07K-LmvdS8xZRkpFO-Cfj5a5kYa3lZun5JSLNl5tJ5s6MmvzJ65n7f7mGsoAXYJCZ~qsrz6qYZybmhoEFudjkFbFE5RXMYBP4J31aqph63mwJCQH67i697-Qf6P1ijJlBqTUHxsICadpfaWMUXl5cMkSL~MS0rMhNm8mKymvalLXfCMjVrxU31ptQgi-4AbGUqVGh0QHG3ekmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents addressed the Long Beach City Council on April 22 to urge action on SpaceX operations at the Port of Long Beach, telling the council the company’s lease and activities pose environmental, labor and community‑health risks.

Janine Stallings, who identified herself as a transgender Long Beach resident, criticized the city’s relationship with SpaceX and said the company’s port lease — which she described in testimony as roughly $285,000 a month — undermined the city’s values of safety and inclusion. Stallings urged the council to calculate the cost of terminating the port lease as a sign of meaningful support for marginalized communities.

Speakers from the Feminist Uprising and other community groups described SpaceX as a “threat” that brings risk of toxic exposure, noise and ecological damage. Several speakers linked the issue to labor concerns: Serenity Vejar, a biology student, told the council SpaceX had recently opposed labor protections and had been involved in legal actions that the speaker described as anti‑union. Other speakers urged the council to add SpaceX as an agenda item to allow formal community discussion and possible policy action.

Advocates cited recent incidents and broader environmental arguments: one speaker noted that a Falcon launch emits an estimated 1,115 tons of kerosene and oxygen per launch (a statistic attributed during testimony to a named outside engineer) and contrasted the company’s activities with city priorities such as clean air and public health. Speakers also said the company’s public statements and actions on LGBTQ issues made the company’s presence inconsistent with Long Beach’s sanctuary and inclusion policies.

Councilmembers did not take formal action on SpaceX during the meeting. Mayor Rex Richardson and others acknowledged public concern and said residents’ petitions and communications would be received; multiple speakers said they are organizing petitions and broader efforts to pressure the city to reconsider its port dealings.

The public comments show a cross‑section of concerns — environmental, labor/union, public health and moral — that community groups want the council to consider in future hearings about port leases and partnerships.","Dozens of residents and advocacy groups used the council public‑comment period to urge the city to put SpaceX’s presence at the Port of Long Beach on the agenda or to oppose expansion, citing pollution risks, anti‑union litigation and threats to workers and nearby communities.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6579351,"Long Beach youth submit 495 ideas and cast 1,744 votes in Youth Power participatory budgeting; $550,000 set for summer programs",223,2304000,2527000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec&start=2304&end=2527","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec/thumbnail_2304000.jpg","/articles/6579351/Long-Beach/Los-Angeles-County/California/Long-Beach-youth-submit-495-ideas-and-cast-1744-votes-in-Youth-Power-participatory-budgeting-550000-set-for-summer-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579351-ff6e80fadf06cca5f3f248880f573948/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194449&Signature=d5bH2nFNMM2cQkqzyIFUh0lLmbDZwWyRS2dHFimikAc~wTVbD8pgFFubDBIMxWdNFv~GIuAw1GgM~FX44-ICpg9tHjk~a7XOuC52q7bFYUFQskjOUKn5KfKHjBM4AsCWRadWQwu1mqSqAe0JpW-1wW~nEohGBFzKGEn2qsUwrpNpI1QV5BSIOLn30QX1NJ7A17TtFV1q6g0CHERs7b93SJnQBA30UY5eebF7LdJ~h~Fya3KcKWA5xm4egRmTlcnDemlkRAEC4ULMaVkfGjaAdcBQC5Hddt5gVxTAUyIXm7h6H3N7W0-2Rch0CAvZ7qLjllESSKiEECk10OGDLgXX9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Long Beach officials and youth organizers celebrated the city’s 10th year of participatory budgeting on April 22, reporting a sharp rise in youth engagement for the third year of the youth‑led program.

Giselle Becerra Murillo of the Youth Leadership Institute told the City Council that, this year, youth events across the city collected 495 project ideas. A youth steering committee selected 25 ideas to advance to the proposal‑development stage, where nonprofit partners helped turn proposals into voter choices. Organizers said 104 youth and organizational participants took part in developing proposals and, as of the morning of the council meeting, 1,744 votes had been cast in the Youth Power participatory budget ballot — roughly triple the voting total from year two.

Princeton (last name not specified in transcript) and Kaisha Hearns, youth leaders with the Invest in Youth Coalition and Youth Leadership Institute, described hands‑on civic education benefits: young people ran idea‑collection events, created proposals and served as facilitators. Council and mayoral remarks marked the initiative’s growth from a neighborhood pilot in 2014 in Council District 9 to a citywide program that gives young people direct control over a $550,000 public fund for youth summer programs.

Mayor Rex Richardson and other councilmembers praised the program for boosting civic participation and supplying both grants and workforce pathways; City staff noted the Office of Youth Development recently hired a full‑time youth development coordinator to manage the expanded PB effort.

Organizers and student leaders said the program’s value goes beyond the dollar amount: it provides civic education, builds leadership skills, and gives youth a tangible role in budgeting priorities. The program will use the forthcoming votes to allocate $550,000 for youth programming slated for summer 2025.","The city celebrated the 10th anniversary of participatory budgeting in Long Beach and reported a major increase in youth engagement: 495 ideas collected, 25 advanced to proposal development and 1,744 votes cast in the current Youth Power PB cycle for $550,000 in youth funding.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6579354,"Long Beach council asks city manager for review of human‑trafficking activity, nuisance‑motel enforcement along Long Beach Boulevard",5447,7483000,12930000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec&start=7483&end=12930","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3090741-b0ff0e50bac21030d035730420ff05ec/thumbnail_7483000.jpg","/articles/6579354/Long-Beach/Los-Angeles-County/California/Long-Beach-council-asks-city-manager-for-review-of-humantrafficking-activity-nuisancemotel-enforcement-along-Long-Beach-Boulevard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6579354-14bfb5a24dcf38454e4621d632ceab8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194449&Signature=XDMWXy3Mafr5-oeH5QJ-tOT3atBy3KZc2-Gb9ky9vYsmtY28u-tIj5GgvJQKCtvqHnjpl-AxhyGiuETOd2PD~aVlyJWOA3bFdVqtB3PPdWUVFuRnnVgCVrUwQV~VfHY4MaBWqan4ZkiX6RWgXPI8FkzL1X4MnL1QhjNJAhlmTaaFY0qXJcDc95HG7wlG08s3jd142Zt6ddDw3uRjrxlT4rewOgXe9aWQZIroxZIvb~~~tjwYIP65gcFi55WpHYEilbksAVA4OADsrF66U6QgmhMF1z0ofDfhD~uhSa7yASYbw7CDsYhQDU9-tjpUAmJyWYGJqjNNEnERoQUqFL3U3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Long Beach City Council on April 22 voted to ask the city manager to prepare a comprehensive review of human‑trafficking and related public‑safety impacts along Long Beach Boulevard and return to the council within 120 days.

Councilmembers Rick Soady and Joanie Ricks‑Odey brought the item after months of neighborhood requests and dozens of public comments describing visible solicitation near schools, day cares and businesses in North Long Beach. The motion, which the council carried, asks the city manager to catalog the scope of activity, the city’s current programs, enforcement barriers and potential legislative or operational options to better protect residents and survivors.

Councilmember Rick Soady said the corridor has been a long‑standing hotspot for solicitation and trafficking, and he urged a “renewed attention and resource realignment” after staffing and pandemic shifts reduced earlier enforcement capacity. Soady cited earlier data prepared for a 2018 nuisance motel pilot showing the Luxury Inn and another motel generated about 1,500 calls for service between January 2014 and May 2017; the pilot then recorded a roughly 30% reduction in calls at targeted motels. He also told the council that, in current patrol data, North Division handles 86% of prostitution‑related calls citywide.

Councilmember Thrash Ntuk framed the proposal around four pillars: local law‑enforcement coordination, survivor‑centered partnerships and public‑health responses, nuisance‑motel property strategies (including land‑use tools and possible verification requirements), and legislative advocacy to shore up enforcement tools. She and other speakers emphasized that recent state law changes — cited in the meeting as Senate Bill 357, which removed loitering for the purpose of prostitution as an automatically arrestable offense — have constrained earlier tactics and made a multiagency, public‑health approach necessary.

Chief of Police Hebesch urged residents to continue reporting suspicious activity to police dispatch even where arrests are not immediately possible, because calls for service help shape operations and resource allocation. Several principals and school officials urged greater protections near campuses; Star King Elementary Principal Jendela Faulkner said students are seeing solicitation and that one violent altercation occurred in front of the school carpool line.

Residents and business owners from neighborhoods including Coolidge Triangle, Longwood and College Square told the council they face littering of used condoms, public urination and threats to customers and staff at fuel stations and storefronts. Property‑management representatives and longtime residents said the conditions have driven customers away, depressed property values and led some homeowners to sell.

The council’s request asks the city manager to assess: current city programs, staffing and data collection; opportunities for updated nuisance‑motel and nuisance‑property rules; survivor support and diversion programs; and coordination with neighboring cities and Los Angeles County. It also specifically requests identification of relevant state and federal legislation and options for the council to adopt formal positions.

Mayor Rex Richardson and several councilmembers stressed the item is intended to produce short‑, medium‑ and long‑term work plans and that some updates would take longer than 120 days. The council unanimously carried the motion at the end of the public hearing.

Next steps include formation of an interdepartmental task group, a review of existing metrics since 2022 and outreach to regional partners and county public health officials for survivor support and prevention services.","After extensive public testimony, the council approved a request that the city manager report back within 120 days on human‑trafficking activity and enforcement options along Long Beach Boulevard, with emphasis on impacts near schools, nuisance‑motel tools and regional coordination.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Long Beach marks National Community Development Week; officials highlight CDBG, HOME and ESG investments

Residents press Long Beach council to oppose or reconsider SpaceX port use, citing environmental, labor and safety concerns

Long Beach youth submit 495 ideas and cast 1,744 votes in Youth Power participatory budgeting; $550,000 set for summer programs

Long Beach council asks city manager for review of human‑trafficking activity, nuisance‑motel enforcement along Long Beach Boulevard