R-15
City of Long Beach
Working Together to Serve
Date: August 9, 2022
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Councilwoman Suzie Price, Third District
Subject: Naming of Channel View Park - Ashlee's Park
RECOMMENDATION:
Refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee for consideration of renaming a section of Channelview Park to Ashlee's Park in memory of Ashlee Armond.
INTRODUCTION:
December of 2014, Ashlee Armond tragically died in a car accident at Channelview Park. She was 20 years old, living with her parents on the street near where she lost her life. Since 2014 her loss has profoundly impacted her family and the community and has been the inspiration for dedicated work in the community in her memory. In fact, Ashlee's dedication to helping the most vulnerable among us is the inspiration for her father Long beach Police Officer Richard Armond's unending efforts to help the homeless. She is also the inspiration for the charity that carries her name; Ashlee's Homeless Fund.
In recent months there has been a concerted desire from the community surrounding Channelview Park, to rename a section of the park in memory of Ashlee and the positive mark she left on the community, and that continues today. The community has expressed a significant and enthusiastic desire for this renaming to occur including over 100 individual emails to the Third District Council Office and lengthy Nextdoor.com post with over 500 comments in support of the naming. Therefore, it is appropriate to refer this naming request to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee for their consideration.
This item has been reviewed by Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon on July 28, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This recommendation requests the City Council to refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee for consideration of renaming Channelview Park after Ashlee Armond. The cost of a park flag sign is estimated at $2,300, with the funding source yet to be identified. The specific requested action in this recommendation is anticipated to have a minimum impact on staff hours beyond the budgeted scope of duties and is expected to have minimum impact on existing City Council priorities.