At a glance: Long Beach council actions March 18 — zoning, impact‑fee reports, lagoon contract and municipal codes

The Long Beach City Council held multiple formal votes March 18 on budgeting, zoning and contracts. Highlights of council actions and procedural outcomes follow.

• Item 17 — Impact‑fee reports: The council adopted a resolution approving the annual and five‑year reports for transportation, parks and recreation, fire, police and sensitive coastal resource impact fees. City staff presented required reporting on prior‑year fee revenues and uses and on multi‑year projects that will use unexpended fee revenue.

• Item 19 — Colorado Lagoon contract amendment: The council authorized execution of documents to amend the contract with Reyes Construction for the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Phase 2 project with a revised total contract amount not to exceed $26,564,768. Council members described the project as complex and noted progress toward completion.

• Item 20 — Inclusionary housing zoning amendment and coastal submittal: The council conducted first reading of an ordinance to expand the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance applicability citywide (beyond downtown and Midtown) and to change affordability requirements; the council also approved a resolution to submit the associated Local Coastal Program amendment and materials to the California Coastal Commission for review and certification. The agenda required two votes; the record shows the necessary procedural votes were taken and carried.

• Item 21 — Municipal elections code amendment: The council read and adopted an ordinance amending the Long Beach municipal code relating to municipal elections (item read and adopted as read).

• Item 11 — Alcoholic beverage control application (3200 E. Pacific Coast Highway): The council continued consideration of the original ABC license application for Kit Kong and instructed staff to lay the matter over to April 1 for District 2 to further review and determine whether to file a protest with the state ABC.

• Item 22 — Transgender Day of Visibility: The council directed the city attorney to draft a resolution recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility in Long Beach and voted to reaffirm the city’s commitment to a safe, welcoming city for transgender and LGBTQIA+ residents.

Votes were recorded as carried in the meeting audio or staff minutes; the council did not adopt specific new appropriations for the Washington neighborhood community center or wage-theft enforcement during this session. Several items require follow-up steps: staff return on details (inclusionary housing LCP submission and percent-for-arts options), contract administration for the lagoon work, and the April 1 hearing on the alcoholic beverage application.

For staff contacts and further details, the council directed relevant departments to return with implementation details where appropriate.