NB-25 Correspondence – Pete Bagoye
-----Original Message-----
From: Pete Bagoye <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:04 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Safe public spaces
-EXTERNAL-
Please make this work. The issues along the beach are overwhelming. Thank you.
NB-25 Correspondence – John Barberis
From: pbarbelaw <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:15 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring usable and safe public space
-EXTERNAL-
We support an open discussion of this issue.
Thank you,
John /Patricia Barberis
NB-25 Correspondence – Kent Bimson
From: Kent Bimson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 2:00 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Cc: Randy Peck <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Spaces
-EXTERNAL-
Good afternoon,
We would like to voice our wholehearted support for a discussion focused on approaches to addressing this increasingly important issue.
While Long Beach PD and FD have done a pretty good job of keeping the homeless off of our beaches, continued encroachment is inevitable without a legal, compassionate mitigation strategy that has teeth in it, or Long Beach will soon look like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Venice Beach.
People are at serious risk from addicts who are allowed to roam the streets freely with no real consequences for nuisance, theft and violence. Recent news from Second Street underscores this trend. While the homeless have rights as human beings, so do their victims. We ALL live under the rule of law, not just the law-abiding among us, and we all should be held accountable for unlawful behavior. If they are offered viable services and refuse them, as Suzie Price indicates they do 90% of the time, we need to have a Plan B that does NOT allow living in public spaces or attacking law-abiding citizens. And laissez-faire is not an enforcement strategy.
Thank you for listening to our opinion.
Kent & Margaret Bimson
“Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space”
Long Beach City Clerk
City Manager, Councilpersons, Mayor
411 W. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Karen Blair
270 St. Joseph Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90803
[email protected]
June 13, 2023
Dear Long Beach City Clerk, Councilpersons, and Mayor,
The ongoing efforts of local governments to ensure usable and safe public spaces for all of their citizens has become a major issue. A local policy must be placed on the City Council agenda immediately.
Currently, the City of Long Beach seems to be a dumping ground for people who live on street corners, in recreational vehicles, camp in parks, or even block the access to doors at local business establishments.
In addition, the ruling by the ninth district court of appeals has resulted in a manner that discriminates against citizens who have homes, live in apartments, travel to work or visit public spaces (parks, playgrounds, streets, local businesses, and beaches).
Unfortunately, many of these citizens who are allowed to camp, do not respect the laws or their camping space and have exhibited destructive, violent or inappropriate behavior. These particular individuals have been allowed to intrude upon the public safety and security of the rest of the public.
As a licensed register nurse and the sister of a paranoid schizophrenic who was homeless for 20 plus years and still suffers from acute anxiety when talking about his life on the streets, I do realize the difficulty of the situation that has been created by past and current laws.
The City of Long Beach has to deal with this situation on a local level immediately.
Please keep the conversation and move forward to advance a new policy in regards to “Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Spaces” for all the residents of Long Beach.
Thank you,
Karen Blair
NB-25 Correspondence – Charley Durnin
-----Original Message-----
From: Charley Durnin <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:04 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring usable public space
-EXTERNAL-
Our public at large needs to feel safe and have free access to our public spaces People who camp throw there trash and excrement in those spaces invade the privileges at large of our population We need to provide for the mentally ill, treat people who have drug addiction and assist those in need of shelter.
Our parks and public spaces should not be where that occurs. People who do not want assistance should not be allowed to ruin our city. Our society needs less rancor, demonstrations and move towards civility and maintaining a healthy vibrant and positive environment. Vagrancy is not part of that atmosphere
NB-25 Correspondence – Barbara Jensen
From: Barbara Jensen <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 12:20 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Discussion this evening on Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
My husband, Fred, and I support a discussion on Ensuring usable and Safe Public Space.
Thank you,
Barbara Jensen
NB-25 Correspondence – Christine Mitchell
From: Chriss Mitchell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 1:57 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
I support the proposed measure introduced by Kristine Duggan et.al., regarding the above subject. The disregard of public health and safety by many of the homeless in our neighborhoods has reached an intolerable level. As a resident, I am fearful of walking many of our streets and visiting neighborhood parks where homeless have set up encampments. I have been spit upon while biking on the bikepaths. The situations must change to ensure safety for our citizens.
Sincerely,
Christine Mitchell
NB-25 Correspondence – Cheryl Rodi
From: Cheryl Rodi <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 11:45 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
Thank you for working on this very important subject in the upcoming weeks. As a homeowner in the 3rd district I realize that other districts have been experiencing these problems longer than we have. However, the decline in safety experienced by our neighbors is real and we appreciate our elected officials' assistance in improving this for all Long Beach residents.
Cheryl R Rodi
NB-25 Correspondence – Dawn Shelley
-----Original Message-----
From: Dawn Shelley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 2:56 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space Council Item 25
-EXTERNAL-
Writing to express my support for having this discussion. It seems to me that here are plenty of services both public and private that exist to give folks a hand up during hard times. However, those who have sunk their lives in drug and alcohol and have brains that no longer function properly must not be permitted to take over public spaces.
Thank you.
- Dawn Shelley
NB-25 Correspondence – Merle Asper
From: Merle Asper <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:13 AM
To: Kelly Asper <[email protected]>; Kristina Duggan <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space"
-EXTERNAL-
To whom it may concern,
Thank you very much for having the discussion on ensuring usable and safe public space. It’s just not good to have insane people ruling the streets they don’t make good decisions. It’s one thing if they want to ruin their own lives, it’s entirely another thing if they want to ruin other peoples lives, they cannot be allowed to do it. At some point we just have to say “no.”
Give them a choice: a mental institution, drug rehab, job training, or just cheap housing until they can get back on their feet.
Please we have to take a stance that the current situation is not working and it must change.
Thank you,
Merle Asper
Former Peninsula Neighborhood Association President and board member for over 10 years
NB-25 Correspondence – Kent Azaren
-----Original Message----
From: KENT AZAREN <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2023 6:30 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring safe use of pubic spaces
-EXTERNAL-
I am in favor of doing whatever it takes to insure the safe use of all public spaces for everyone. We were running on the beach path some had to use the bathroom. To our disappointment all bathrooms were occupied by homeless people so no one could use the bathrooms. This was all the bathrooms along the bike running path. That doesn’t seem right or fair!
Glad we have more resources for homeless but if they don’t want to take advantage of these resources why should others suffer for the choices they make?
I will not be able to go to the meeting to discuss this but it is so important to our city! Thank you for addressing this issue.
Kent Azaren
Sent from my iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Natalie Barnes
-----Original Message-----
From: Natalie Barnes <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:46 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Usable and Safe Public Spaces comment
-EXTERNAL-
I do NOT condone the resources, or the time dedicated to developing this program.
You are asking a City of 500,000 some to make all of these concessions for an approximate 2500 persons.
Why not ask the City of Santa Ana how they reduced their homeless population from 900 to 400 (round numbers) instead of asking your City to “invest unprecedented resources” for less than 1/2 of 1% of the population?
I do NOT support any further action or time be taken to create this initiative.
Please let my voice be heard, even tho I will not attend your meeting.
Natalie Barnes
NB-25 Correspondence – Kailee Caruso
From: Kailee Caruso <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 11:51 AM
Subject: We can not criminalize our homeless with "ensuring usable & safe public spaces"
-EXTERNAL-
Hello All,
I am writing this email to ensure we are not using "ensuring usable and safe public spaces" discussion to actually mean find ways to criminalize those experiencing homelessness and just move them out of sight of residents who have no care for them or our city solving the homeless crisis but rooted in fear, bias, discrimination, white discomfort that says all homeless people are criminals, mentally unstable or addicted to drugs and/or alcohol when we know the data does not reflect that.
1. If we are going to have a discussion on "ensuring usable and safe public spaces" we first have to define safety. Is our definition of safety rooted in fear or humanity and safety for all in our communities.
We can not implement or enforce policy that is rooted in fear. That is not equity, care or humanity in our city. That equals more harmful policy to impact our most vulnerable.
2. People in our community valuing safety and humanity can co-exist. Lots of people in Long Beach think that if we value care or humanity then we don't value safety. Maybe we value safety from a lens of care and humanity b/c we have first hand experienced being unsafe by harm. We know that the perpetuation of harm (criminalizing the homeless) in our community to "maintain people feeling safe" is not true safety at all and actually makes our communities less safe in the long run.
3. If we are going to discuss "ensuring usable and safe public spaces" we have to talk about root (systemic) causes and the gaps that exist with all our residents understanding how we got here, why Black and Brown residents are more likely to experience housing insecurity, food insecurity, harms of pollution, stopped by the police, the inequitable policy, the policy rooted in white comfort over true safety for all of those in our communities. This starts with the culture that exists in the city.
4. If we are going to be a city that has declared a state of emergency and simultaneously find loopholes to criminalize our most vulnerable then how is this state of emergency not for clout, more money (like so many claim) or to sustain homelessness instead of eliminate it at its root and fill the gaps to unite our city not further divide and segregate it.
Long Beach is in need of a systemic cultural shift. We have to be a city that prioritizes and centers the most vulnerable in our community, data backed solutions, the intersectionality of the housing crisis, mental health resources and racial inequity, education for residents and city staff to fill the gaps of how we got here, and policy that perpetuates equity and care. Long Beach is at a crossroads and where each of you stand on this will determine where Long Beach is headed. We can not prioritize white comfort, wanting homeless out of sight in certain districts in Long Beach and criminalization over true data backed safety for all and humanity.
I live in the 3rd District and I know homeless challenges are not as severe as other districts. I have also been reaching out to D3 and city leadership to find out how consistently a REACH team is in D3 or the mobile access center? NO ANSWER. Does that mean we don't have those resources and services in D3?
D3 still deserves accessibility to resources and services even though we have less people experiencing homelessness. Let's start there to ensure usable and safe public spaces.
Thank you for your time and service!
In Community,
Kailee Caruso, MPA
she/her/hers
Resident/Parent District 3
Trained Trauma Informed Mental Health Worker
Co-Founder DEI Committee Lowell Elementary
Former Long Beach City Council Candidate in D3
NB-25 Correspondence – Daniel Ciganovich
From: Daniel Ciganovich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 9:53 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]> Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Spaces.
-EXTERNAL-
Attention: City Clerk (Long Beach)
I'm writing as a concerned resident of Long Beach regarding the deteriorating safety in public spaces.
My family and I have personally experienced threats to our safety and personal property in recent months.
Last year my wife was walking our little dog in our neighborhood of Belmont Park, when a homeless man threatened her, and kicked at out dog. She got into a verbal confrontation with him in an attempt to defend herself and our dog.
A few months ago, one of our neighbors texted us, they saw a homeless person camped out on our front porch. We saw this text late in the morning, and upon investigation, found they were fortunately gone. However, we did find our porch furniture rearranged, and a lot of trash and cigarette buts left behind. Note: we have a fenced in front yard with a latched gate, so this persons entry was intentional.
We now leave our porch lights on every night for security, causing us to waste electricity.
One night I left my vehicle unlocked, which I never do knowing the risks. Sure enough, this one time and someone was inside my vehicle, and went through all my things. Fortunately, I do not leave any valuables in my vehicles.
About 6 months ago, we had a homeless woman walk by our house with just pants on and what appeared to be red paint smeared on herself. I called LBPD to report her, in hopes no other children in the area would have to encounter her. I also had to explain to my 8 year old why she might be acting that way.
I have lived in California for 60+ years, born in San Pedro, than moved to Huntington Beach for 10+ years, and now in Long Beach for 11 years. I am well aware of the homeless crisis plaguing our city, as we see homeless in our neighborhood daily, and all over the city. I have never seen nor encountered so many issues regarding our safety like I have these recent months.
The city of Long beach has a legal obligation to protect the rights and safety of all residents in public spaces. Real action is needed now, its my hope our elected leaders start to represent the interest of the majority of citizens who work hard, pay taxes, and call Long Beach their home.
Sincerely,
Daniel Ciganovich
Belmont Park, LB.
NB-25 Correspondence – Kathleen Crawford
-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Crawford <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 11:11 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring usable and safe public space
-EXTERNAL-
As a property owner & a small business owner in Long Beach, I urge the Council to address effective ways of eliminating encampments on public parks, streets and property where such encampments degrade & endanger the community. The issue is how to “solve” this homeless problem without enabling & encouraging more of it.
Kathleen Crawford
NB-25 Correspondence – Sandy Davidson
From: Sandra Davidson <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:49 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
I support the effort to restore public safety in Long Beach.
I want to feel protected and safe again in my hometown
of Long Beach.
Sandy Davidson
NB-25 Correspondence – Grace and Kevin Elizondo
From: Grace Thibodeaux <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 4:55 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring usable and safe public spaces
-EXTERNAL-
Hi,
We’re in full support of this project.
Thanks
Grace & Kevin Elizondo
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Karen Held
-----Original Message-----
From: KAREN HELD <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 4:28 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring safe and usable public spaces
-EXTERNAL-
I support this discussion. Thank you Karen Held
Sent from my iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Doug Hill
From: Doug Hill <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 1:10 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
Good afternoon,
Yes, I would like to be involved in any and every discussion concerning how to ensure that the City of Long Beach has usable and safe public spaces.
I would like to join in on this discussion this Thursday. Please let me know the address and time.
Thank you,
Doug
Doug Hill, Broker Associate
Certified Residential Specialist/Accredited Buyer Representative
NB-25 Correspondence – Genise Homan
-----Original Message-----
From: Genise Homan <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 7:17 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Item 25
-EXTERNAL-
We support Safe & Usable public spaces
Sent from my iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Mitchell Iliff
From: Mitchell Iliff <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 11:38 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Blocked alley
-EXTERNAL-
There has been furniture blocking the alley for over a week. We are having trouble getting in and out of our garage.
Location is 8th between Chestnut and Cedar. 90813.
Can you please help us 🇺🇸
Mitchell Iliff
NB-25 Correspondence – Tessa Kohl
From: Tessa <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 11:35 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]> Subject: Disgusted by "Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space”
-EXTERNAL-
Hi,
I’m emailing to share my disgust at the city’s exploration of criminalization-based solutions covered in the "Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space” letter.
Research shows that the types of solutions being explored will not only DECREASE public safety for the homeless population under the false guise of increasing public safety for other residents, but can also (for good reason!) easily invite costly legal challenges for the city.
The city needs to prioritize the needs of the most marginalized residents and focus SOLELY on permanent housing solutions that are proven to work. It is every city employee’s responsibility to engage in ethical, evidence-based practices.
Remember - homeless folks are WAY more likely to be victims of a crime than perpetrators. Do not criminalize the most marginalized as punishment for isolated events, and please do not give in to scapegoating from more privileged residents.
Best,
Tessa Kohl, District 3 Resident
NB-25 Correspondence – Claire Matalon Hoxie
From: Claire Hoxie <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:01 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: "Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space"
-EXTERNAL-
I support this discussion in the hopes that our city can enact and enforce all legal options for ensuring the safety of its residents. --
Claire Matalon Hoxie, CLM
NB-25 Correspondence – Carolyn Misajon
-----Original Message-----
From: lynne misajon <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:09 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Safety in public places 3rd district
-EXTERNAL-
I am a LB native, and lived in 90815 90804 and 90803.
The last zip 90803 for 43 years. Sadly, in these 43 years in 90803 I have experienced a break in, 4 major thefts from our van, countless bike thefts, patio furniture, car thefts and a broken front window.
I am disgusted with our streets and am now afraid to walk alone in Naples 90803. Is your neighborhood like this? We deserve better knowing our LB taxes are among the highest in Long Beach. Our public places are also unhealthy & unsafe, I am advocating for daily policing in our parks and throughout Naples immediately.
Respectfully Discouraged,
Carolyn Misajon
NB-25 Correspondence – Becher Neme
From: Be NE <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 8:19 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]> Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
Dear Sir, Madame,
This supports Councilwoman Dugann's request to ask the city manager to develop a list of policies to ensure usable and safe public spaces in Long Beach.
People experiencing homelessness and often mental illness are taking over our city's streets and public spaces.
What happened at Livingstone Playground recently is shocking.
We ask that the city takes action to address this issue.
Thank you
Becher Neme
NB-25 Correspondence – Randy Peck
From: Randy Peck <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 10:58 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
As a peninsula resident who has been the victim of multiple package thefts and attempted burglaries by local homeless people, I implore you to please support our councilmembers’ efforts to prevent the homeless from living in our public spaces.
Thank you.
Randy Peck
NB-25 Correspondence – Susan Phillips
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Phillips <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 6:50 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring safe public spaces.
-EXTERNAL-
I totally support the discussion. We need to look at all of our options. Homelessness is a huge problem facing all of our country. It needs a multi pronged approach. I feel that all options should be on table and open for discussion. At least we can know our options. Kindly Susan Phillips Sent from my iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Donna Popkin
-----Original Message-----
From: Donna Popkin <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 9:55 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring safe usable spaces..,
-EXTERNAL-
I support this initiative. No one should have to worry about their or other’s safety. This results in the majority of residents unable to use or go to these public areas and only serves to violate our civil rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We have become prisoners in our homes and it is high time the city takes back our public spaces and makes them “usable” for all the people.
Donna M. Popkin, CLS, ASCP
NB-25 Correspondence – Jen Rose
From: Jen Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 10:13 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public space
-EXTERNAL-
To Whom it May Concern,
I have lived in Belmont Shore for 26 years. We used to be able to go to the green area on Livingston, or Livingston Park. We no longer use the public spaces as they have been overrun with homeless people and or people that are loitering for long periods of time. The public parking areas have campers and people living in vehicles, which would not be a problem however they are not following the laws that are in place. Not to mention the fact that at one point the stench from the urine at the Bayshore Church parking lot was so bad the residents had to ask the man to leave after two years of living in the parking lot. We called, we asked for help to no avail.
The only way you are going to get public spaces back are to enforce the rules and laws. I would NEVER go downtown to that library or any place where this city has allowed people to takeover the spaces. If you continue to let the city get over run and let the homeless dictate the rules you will run people out of town. I keep hearing about millions of dollars for the homeless and the services? what can you say you have done? Where are the results? Christine Barry is the only one that is making a difference and yet no one in the city acknowledges her or her work. I will donate to her cause because she gets it done.
Sadly we are moving, for two reasons.....public spaces being over run and this city's lack of enforcing laws and making it a safe place to live. We love LBPD and this is 100% not on them. Seal Beach does not tolerate petty theft. This city has made it widely known you can steal anything here and nothing will be done. At some point you need to take a stand, even if the laws kick them right back on the street. You have also made it widely known you can pop a tent anywhere in this city and that include beach living.
The parks across from Wilson High are riddled with tents daily. The beachfront is riddled with tents and needles. We have raised our two boys and our third child is in Los Al school and we can't let her go in the alley to play basketball with our hoop, as a guy in his underwear was sleeping up against our garage.
We are done. Hopefully you will do something . For us it is to late.
Sincerely,
Jen Rose
NB-25 Correspondence – Noah Spitzer-Williams
From: Noah Spitzer-Williams <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2023 4:32 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
Thx!--
Sent from Gmail Mobile
R-20 Correspondence – Craig Sussman
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Sussman <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2023 6:18 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Support Enforcement of Public Access Laws Re: Homeless Population LB
-EXTERNAL-
As a parent of a recently homeless daughter in Venice area for 9 months, once LA enforced their statutory laws and denied our daughter and many others the convenience of living / sleeping in public areas, our daughter came home and is now in treatment for her severe mental illness.
She is now in a few short months later recovering and thriving.
GIVE OTHERS THE SAME CHANCE! Yep, a chance to live a full and happy life!
Glad to share details of experiencing years of bureaucratic failure.
Action will save valuable lives.
Best.
Craig Sussman
NB-25 Correspondence – Jonathan Talberg
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Talberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:14 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
Please allow this email to serve as my support for looking for solutions to ensure that we have usable and safe public spaces in Long Beach. I believe firmly that we mustn’t allow camping on the beach or in our public parks. I fully support the City’s push to create excellent outreach, housing, and mental health care options for our unhoused residents, but I also believe that we must enforce the laws on the books regarding our public spaces.
Thank you,
Jonathan
NB-25 Correspondence – Arleen Tolle
-----Original Message-----
From: tolle161 <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 3:06 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring useable and safe public space
-EXTERNAL-
I support the efforts to find a balance among all inhabitants of our city. The needs of one group should not overshadow the needs of another to feel safe in their surroundings. It is especially crucial our children are protected from violent and disturbing behavior. Our city owes it to all their residents to take some sort of action to prevent our public spaces from being denigrated with garbage, filth and waste.
Arleen Tolle
Sent from my iPhone
NB-25 Correspondence – Parisa Vinzant
From: Parisa Vinzant <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 11:09 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment: Agenda Item #25 - City Council's 6/13 Meeting
-EXTERNAL-
Dear City Clerk,
I hope this note finds you doing well. I’ve enclosed below my public comment for agenda item #25 for City Council’s June 13th meeting. I kindly request that you please circulate my letter to the Mayor and City Council prior to the meeting and attach my letter to the agenda item on legistar attend of the meeting. Many thanks for your assistance!
Best wishes,
Parisa Vinzant
~ ~ ~ ~
Dear Mayor and Members of City Council,
My name is Parisa Vinzant, an equity and inclusion consultant, and I was the equity toolkit consultant for the City's Equity Toolkit that was launched October 2019. I'm writing with strong concerns about Agenda item #25 that it will have unintended equity consequences and punitive impacts on the city's residents who are experiencing homelessness.
While the City is hard at work to tackle the complex issue of homelessness and has allocated extraordinary resources recently to do so, the City does not yet have in place realistically adequate or available beds or housing and resources for its sizable and still growing homeless population. To move forward with agenda item #25 at this crucial time, and without the explicit involvement of the City's Health and Human Services Department and the Office of Equity, is likely to produce ineffective and inequitable results and will be counterproductive to the previously stated goals of this body when it announced the state of emergency for homelessness earlier this year.
Further, this agenda item states, that "The City Manager, in coordination with the City Prosecutor and City Attorney, should also present enforcement mechanisms that have been used by other cities for violations." It is concerning that the sponsors of this agenda item are seeking such punitive responses at this early stage of the city’s dedicated efforts to substantively tackle the systemic issues of homelessness. It's also very concerning that the sponsors are seeking enforcement mechanisms from other cities, and within only 30 days, and makes no provision for the explicit involvement of the Office of Equity to ensure that a thorough equity analysis is conducted on any potential policies or actions. Just because another city has developed a policy on homelessness, and a policy that may have even found what it believes to be a loophole around the anti-camping precedent setting case Martin v. City of Boise, it does not make it an effective policy much less an equitable or just policy.
Long Beach has also long aspired to operate differently and by its own ethos, one in which the principles of equity and inclusion are at its core. For these key reasons, I strongly urge City Council to vote NO on agenda item #25. Thank you for your consideration.
Very best wishes,
Parisa Vinzant
For Reference:
Long Beach Equity Toolkit for City Leaders and Staff (October 2019), Long Beach Office of Equity, City of Long Beach, https://www.longbeach.gov/globalassets/health/media-library/documents/healthy-living/office-of-equity/city-of-long- beach-office-of-equity-toolkit
_____
Parisa Vinzant, MPA (She/her)
Public Sector Equity & Inclusion Consultant | Strategist Vinzant Group Inc
Email: [email protected]
NB-25 Correspondence – Shelly Williams
From: Shelly Williams <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2023 3:24 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Ensuring Usable and Safe Public Space
-EXTERNAL-
I’m in support of Council Member Duggan’s proposal to ensure that our public spaces are safe and usable.
I would like to see tougher enforcement of the homeless camping, loitering and creating a nuisance in our community and specifically on 2nd Street.
Thank you.
Shelly Williams
Belmont Shore