R-1 Correspondence – Heidi Kitchen
From: Heidi Kitchen [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 10:43 AM
To: Celeste Sanchez <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]> Cc: Lynn Ward <[email protected]>; Long Beach Airport <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>; City Manager <[email protected]>; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: ATTENTION CITY CLERK- PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SPECIAL MEETING IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL HYBRID CITY COUNCIL MEETING PURSUANT TO AB 361 (GOV. CODE SECTION 54953(e)(1)-(2)) JOIN VIA ZOOM, PLEASE DIAL: (213) 338-8477 / MEETING ID: 922 4001 2654 https://longbeach-gov.z...
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MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE THE OPTION TO USE eCOMMENT TO PROVIDE COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY
ALSO BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]
Here is my public comment. Please ensure it is submitted and confirm receipt:
The citizens of Long Beach are completely appalled at the exorbitant monthly gas bills. We are being completely gouged. We cannot continue to pay these outrageous rates. This is unacceptable and unethical. We demand you do something immediately. The sheer fact that you would do this to your constituents in the middle of the winter season is unfathomable. Mr.
Rex Richardson, is your home and office heated? Are you timing your hot showers? I can see my breath in my own home and my 4 year old daughter is telling me "mommy I'm cold" while we are both in layers of clothing and shoes in our own home.
R-1 Correspondence – Corliss Lee
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 12:00 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>
Cc: City Manager <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council agenda item 23-0116 Utilities Commission 23-016UT
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City Clerk,
Please provide these comments to the City Council and to the Utilities Commission
Re: Agenda item 23-0116 Recommendation to authorize City Manager to work with Long Beach Utilities Department to promptly implement a Natural Gas Price-Spike Relief Program for the City’s residential gas customers most in need of payment assistance. (Citywide)
COMMENT
I share your concerns about how gas/water prices affect those that do not have discretionary funds. A price hike means they have to be cold or hungry. They do not have more money to cover it and would simply have to turn off the heat or cut into their food budget to pay for it.
The suggestion to create payment assistance is one way to go, but please keep in mind that poor people do not usually have computers and they are not proficient at forms and bureaucracy. If the means to help them is difficult, they will simply suffer. Perhaps a phone line could be made available to help them with forms, if that is the way you choose to go.
The Utilities Commission agenda for 2/2/23 has is a line item suggesting they are looking at this issue as well.
23-016UT Receive and file a presentation on Potential Hedging of Gas Prices as a Means to Provide Price Stability and Price Protection to our Customers Going Forward. http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6006818&GUID=5A80D592-FECA-47D6-8B31- 7BDC284B2773
A friend sent a suggestion with another option and I am passing it on below:
"What the water/gas "LBU" board should've done, unless there's some legal hurdle: just level everyone's bills out by not passing on all the costs this month. This was a temporary surge caused by a perfect storm of circumstances having to do with supply to California. We import all our natural gas from the eastern US through pipelines into Cal. run by SoCalGas, which LB Gas buys from. Wholesale prices have already come back down.
There's already a level-pay plan for customers when they have a leak or something and their bill spikes.. why not just do that for everyone and spread the cost of the wholesale spike out over the next 12 months?"
SoCalGas says skyrocketing bills will drop significantly in February
SoCalGas says skyrocketing bills will drop
significantly in February
SoCalGas said that lower bills may be coming as soon as next month as politicians try to lessen the impact of sk...
Respectfully,
Corliss Lee
Resident 5th district
Eastside Voice
R-1 Correspondence – Bryan Quigley
-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Quigley [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 2:11 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council Meeting comments 23-0116
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Dear Council,
23-0116 -
As the world transitions off of fossil fuels these kinds of spikes will become more commonplace.
We should look at leading the way in utilizing funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to electrify our community.
Our newly combined Long Beach Utilities Department is in a much better position to work on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. I propose we set goals limiting new gas hookups and also a goal for a number of residential customers to switch over to all electric.
Thank you,
Bryan