On Tuesday, September 13th, the Long Beach City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2017 City budget. This budget is balanced, measured, and makes some very key investments in public safety, equity, and quality of life for all of our residents.

To start, the City Council funded $130,000 in the Department of Health and Human Services to support the establishment Office of Equity. This action creates one central office to focus on equity issues in our city, and realigns the vital work of our My Brothers Keeper Initiative, Language Access Plan, the Violence Prevention Plan, My Sister's Keeper Initiative, and the Human Relations Commission, in order to expand our capacity to serve our residents and build a more equitable city.

On Saturday, September 10th we were joined by over 2,500 community members to celebrate the historic grand opening of the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library.

The community was truly out in full-force in Uptown as we witnessed the ribbon cutting of the new library, followed by a tour of the 25,000 sq ft., state-of-the-art facility.

The opening of the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library is a defining moment in Long Beach history, and will serve as an inspiration for generations to come.

Long Beach City Council Approves Purchase and Sale of 30 Parcels Near Atlantic Ave. & South St.

This approval marks the sale of the last North Long Beach properties formerly owned by the Redevelopment Agency

At the August 16^th City Council meeting, the City Council approved the purchase and sale agreement of 30 parcels near the new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library by LAB Holding, LLC (The LAB) for $6,943,200. The locations are part of past Redevelopment Agency lots now owned by the City through the Long Beach Successor Agency Long Range Property Management Plan.

At the August 2^nd City Council meeting, the City Council approved the purchase of property at Artesia Blvd. and Atlantic Ave. by Frontier Real Estate Investments, LLC for $2,100,000. The location is one of several past Redevelopment Agency parcels now owned by the City through the Long Beach Successor Agency Long Range Property Management Plan.

This morning Councilmember Rex Richardson and Def Jam Recording Artist Vince Staples announced their support for and launch of the Youth Institute (YI) in North Long Beach, a program of the Greater Long Beach YMCA.

Additionally, Councilmember Richardson announced new and expanded summer park programming at Houghton Park and Ramona Park, as well as a plan to double the amount of youth jobs through the summer Hire-a-Youth employment program to a total of 150 summer youth jobs in an effort to keep youth safe and active during this summer season.

The top three participatory budgeting projects were chosen after a total of 222 initial proposal submissions were received, all of which where drafted and delivered by North Long Beach residents. 165 Uptown residents gave PB an early spark back in September, bringing their energy and ideas to numerous public outreach and community meetings.

Winning proposals were announced by Councilmember Richardson this past Tuesday, May 31st, as follows:

The top three winning PB projects are:

1. A Sustainable Approach for Storm Water Runoff (702 votes) -

This pilot project will work to manage storm water runoff on streets through curb cutouts, rain gardens, and tree swales. The project will also consist of installing educational signs about improved water quality and conservation.

2. DeForest Park Restroom Beautification (679 votes) -

This project will install interior upgrades at the DeForest Park restrooms including new finishes and fixtures.

3. Fitness Zones at Ramona & DeForest Parks (648) -

This project will allow for the installation of 3-5 outdoor exercise machines each at two parks to increase access to healthy lifestyles for residents of all ages.

While only $250,000 was originally allocated to PB this cycle, we decided like we did last year to fund the top three that won for a total of $300,000 in projects voted on by our residents. We are so proud of the 1,382 residents who voted in Participatory Budgeting this year!

Here's how the other projects did:

Bike Hub Mural- 357 votes

Dog Waste Bag Dispensers- 391 votes

Solar Powered Trash Receptacles- 640 votes

Neighborhood Monument Signs- 405 votes

Community Garden- 646 votes

Uptown Bike Lanes - 552 votes

The 5th Annual Uptown Jazz Festival is making its way back to Uptown in style, featuring show-stopping headliners Goapele and DW3! Houghton Park will be filled with artistry and style on June 11th, with the festival lasting from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. North Long Beach residents and friends are invited to come and enjoy music, food, vendor booths, a Kids' Zone, and many surprises.

This is a free community concert, but there are rules to follow, to ensure a good time for everyone.

Rules:
Feel free to bring your own low back lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets.
Do not bring alcohol. There is a beer and wine garden available for consumption within the boundaries.
No smoking allowed.
No canopies or tents allowed.

Public transit and ride sharing is encouraged as parking is offsite and limited.

Feel free to share!

Check out our full act lineup below.RSVP here

Source: City of Long Beach Press Release

The City of Long Beach has been awarded an additional $765K from the federal government to provide services to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in the City of Long Beach, bringing the total annual award to $6.9 million.

"This grant is a recognition not just of the need to house people, but also of the great work the Long Beach Continuum of Care is doing,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Homelessness is a national challenge that requires tremendous effort to address, but we have an outstanding network of dedicated providers committed to the Housing First approach, and we are making good progress.”

In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) $6.2 million to provide services to homeless individuals and families. The CoC is led by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.

The Long Beach CoC also retained its status as a Unified Funding Agency (UFA), which allows the CoC to make changes to its funding allocation across projects to better address the local needs of our community.

“Over the next few grant cycles, HUD is shifting its priorities to fund primarily permanent supportive housing across the country, however the $6.9 million and continued UFA status allows us the necessary flexibility to tailor programs and services to the special needs of our Long Beach constituency,” said Kelly Colopy, Director of Health and Human Services.

The funding period for these competitive grant awards is from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017.

Eleven agencies in Long Beach are sub-grantees to these funds; together they will provide a total of 21 projects consisting of transitional housing, permanent housing and supportive services to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness.

The CoC strategy aligns with the City’s Consolidated Plan and Housing Element components in relation to housing and services for special needs populations. Examples of leveraged community resources include: Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME, Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), Public Housing, Mental Health Services Act, Veterans funding and other state, city, county, private, and foundation funds.

The local CoC system, combined with all of its nonprofit partner agencies, leverages funds to promote a seamless service delivery model that has been recognized as a national model.

Linkages to these services are coordinated through the Multi-Service Center (MSC), which operates as the Continuum’s coordinated entry system providing intake and assessment. The MSC, located at 1301 W. 12th Street in Long Beach, averages 18,000 client visits annually, making it the primary point of entry for men, women, and families seeking assistance throughout the City.

If you require assistance or have questions regarding homeless services, please contact the Multi-Service Center at 562.570.4500.

The Creative Corridor Challenge to Beautify North Long Beach has been sweeping its way through Uptown, leaving behind inspirational imagery for generations to come. Since its "Project Submission Phase" in October 2015, the initiative has moved through its "Corridor Team Development Phase", leading to the "Project Execution Phase", which North Long Beach can visually grasp through volunteer painting opportunities and aesthetic.

Uptown saw the initial workings of its fourth Creative Corridor Challenge Mural, which captivates the word "Dream" among idea-provoking, ocean-touched colors and imagery. The mural causes a wonder that sparks ideas that can certainly become dreams of tomorrow.

Marcel "Sel" Blanco is the artist responsible for the mural design at 1639 E. Artesia blvd., an exceptional addition to North Long Beach's ongoing collection. In the forthcoming weeks, Blanco and community will combine their talents to put the remaining pieces in place, completing yet another mural to beautify Uptown.