Long Beach · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Long Beach public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
New Technology and Innovation Director appointment
After an extended acting period, the city has appointed TJ Mal as Director of Technology and Innovation, effective November 16. He brings 25 years of public-sector tech leadership, most recently as CIO at Pasadena City College.
Alleged bias and retaliation in Communication Specialist VI recruitment
Employee Andrew Garcia says the interview panel for a promotion included people with documented conflicts with him, and that he has been passed over four times in retaliation for complaints. The commission agreed to bring HR in to discuss the recruitment process.
Digital inclusion and skills training expansion
Long Beach's digital skills programs graduated 104 residents in October, giving participants certificates and free computers. The city plans to expand to roughly 400 participants over the next six months, adding youth programs and a YMCA partnership.
Procurement transparency and local business access
Commissioners want vendors who collect data on Long Beach residents to disclose what they collect, store it on city infrastructure, and delete it when contracts end — lessons drawn from a smart sensor pilot. Procurement due diligence emerged as a possible 2027 workplan item.
AI Learn and Earn digital skills program
Long Beach's digital skills programs graduated 104 residents in October, giving participants certificates and free computers. The city plans to expand to roughly 400 participants over the next six months, adding youth programs and a YMCA partnership.
Digital Inclusion Week and Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October's "Become a Digital Detective" campaign reached residents and staff, with a lunch-and-learn drawing nearly 80 participants. The city will move to quarterly sessions and mandatory cybersecurity and data privacy training is due November 30.
Declining passenger activity and airport revenue
August passenger numbers were down about 5% from last year, a regional trend tied to fuel costs and travel economics. Staff expect an uptick in fiscal year 2027.
Employment services for people with disabilities
The Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network offers free career services, training scholarships up to $7,500, and paid internships for students with IEPs or 504 plans. Commissioners flagged that many young people don't disclose their disabilities, limiting access to these programs.
Royal Hotel revitalization and CROWN Act advocacy
A speaker with family roots in Long Beach since the 1880s urged the commission to support repurposing the vacant 1929 Royal Hotel at Lime and Anaheim as a natural hair care facility, citing CROWN Act civil-rights concerns and city licensing codes.
LA 28 Olympics Small Business Preparation
Long Beach will host 11 Olympic sports and Paralympic swimming, expecting about 2 million ticketed fans. Big issues for residents: reserved freeway lanes, expanded transit, security perimeters, and whether seniors and immigrant communities will be able to participate safely.
Former employee's late termination appeal
Ondra Gene Lucas Jr., a former Public Works refuse employee, was fired in May 2026 after his license was suspended following a DUI arrest that was later thrown out. He missed the 10-day appeal window, so the commission voted to agendize his request for a future hearing rather than rule on it now.
College Corps utility internships
Long Beach Utilities will host paid Long Beach City College student interns for three years through the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program, building a career pipeline into water quality, engineering and conservation jobs at no direct cost to the utility.
Work experience and job placement outcomes
The business engagement team reported 77 active work-site agreements, a new cohort of 30 Public Service Corps fellows, and success stories including a 17-year-old hired by Long Beach Community Table.
Transition from Conservation Corps to private clean team
The Conservation Corps ends its years-long Belmont Shore cleaning service this month; a new Block by Block clean team takes over in February, adding pressure washing and steam cleaning.
Local hiring preference program results
Since launching in October 2025, nearly one in four applicants qualifies for local hiring or veteran preference points, and 54% of those moved up at least one band on hiring lists — meaning Long Beach residents get a real leg up on city jobs.
Unpermitted ice cream vendor enforcement near Shoreline Village
A longtime permitted food vendor asked the Council again to enforce permit rules against unlicensed ice cream trucks operating near the aquarium and Shoreline Village, saying the competition is hurting his business.
Historically Black Cultural District feasibility study
The city awarded a $300,000 contract to study creating a Historically Black Cultural District in District 6, a community-driven effort aiming to launch by 2028 along the PCH, MLK, and Anaheim corridors.
Downtown parking rate increase
Neighbors told the commission parking is make-or-break downtown — one said he passed on five buildings without it — and pressed again for a grocery store after the local one closed. The developer will charge market rates for unbundled parking stalls.
EDO budget cuts and sustainable funding for small business programs
Economic Development is cutting two positions and losing one-time redevelopment money that funds award-winning small business programs. The department is betting on new revenue — amphitheater, advertising, kiosks, and a new enhanced infrastructure financing district — to keep programs alive.
NACW 2027 conference bid
A new ad hoc committee will prepare a proposal, due October 15, to host the National Association of Commissions for Women conference in Long Beach in 2027, bringing visitors and visibility to the city.
Opportunity Zones 2.0 census tract nominations
The state can only nominate 25% of eligible census tracts for the federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 tax-incentive program, which drives private investment into distressed areas. Long Beach nominated 14 of its 44 eligible tracts, and four to five appear likely to make the cut — the commission is sending letters of support before the August 28 deadline.
Updated EDA Revolving Loan Program Administrative Plan
The city's small-business loan fund got its first full update since 2015. Borrowers now need 20% equity instead of 10%, nonprofits under city contract can qualify, and pandemic-era emergency loans return as 'resiliency loans.' Staff say the higher equity requirement keeps borrowers vested in repaying.
Divergent 3D printing facility in North Long Beach
3D printing company Divergent moved into a 130,000-square-foot vacant facility in North Long Beach and has publicly committed to 1,000 jobs — a big win for an area that had an empty big-box space for years.
Long Beach Amphitheater lease negotiations
With the new music venue opening, parking is a hot topic — $55 at the Pike structures versus $10 or free-with-validation elsewhere downtown. The city ran a trial of its shuttle service the day of this meeting, moving up to 2,000 volunteers and staff from downtown to the venue.
Justice for Black workers in Long Beach
The Coalition Against Anti-Blackness presented data showing Black workers earn about 65 cents per dollar earned by white workers, face double the unemployment rate, and report barriers to promotion and retaliation for speaking up. The commission formed a new ad hoc to partner with the coalition and develop recommendations for City Council.
Commission 2027 work-plan topics
Commissioners brainstormed what to tackle next year, landing on AI governance, cybersecurity, data sovereignty, open data and GIS storytelling, vendor due diligence, and LA 28 technology legacy. An ad hoc committee will draft the plan by November 20.
Transparency of the classified hiring appeal process
When the city rejects a job applicant for not meeting minimum qualifications, the rejection letter doesn't say how long they have to appeal or how the appeal process works. This applicant waited nearly two months before formally appealing, and by then the eligibility list had already gone to the hiring department. The commission ordered HR to review the notification process and report back within 60 days.
New Alaska Airlines service to Seattle
Alaska Air — which acquired Hawaiian Airlines — announced two daily nonstop flights from Long Beach to Seattle, joining Southwest's new Seattle and Portland routes. Ticket sales are open with introductory fares.
Port of Long Beach workforce partnership
The Port runs three high school career pathways with nearly 1,000 students, gives $400,000 in annual scholarships, and runs a 30-student paid summer internship with LBWIN support — building a pipeline into port and logistics careers.
Business accessibility training and CASP inspection program
The city will use SB 1186 fee funds to train staff, offer free accessibility workshops, and reimburse small businesses for CASP inspections — lowering their lawsuit liability while improving access.
Charity regatta and swap meet benefiting TCC children's clinics
The Seal Beach Yacht Club's charity regatta and swap meet raises money for the TCC children's clinics, which have expanded to serve seniors and low-income residents amid federal funding cuts. The committee wants more outreach materials in the June 11 packet.
EDA Revolving Loan Fund grant and administrative plan update
Long Beach won a $750,000 federal EDA grant for its small business revolving loan fund, and adopting the updated administrative plan is the last step to receive the money. Commissioners deferred adoption to August to review the decade-old plan's first update.
Small business loan program performance and modernization
The city's two loan programs (microenterprise and Grow America) have made 106 loans supporting hundreds of jobs, and the fund is moving to in-house loan servicing and electronic payments. A local business owner testified the process is thorough but slow — about four months.
Men's Room Bar Entertainment Permit
A historic Broadway-corridor gay bar won its entertainment permit with conditions limiting hours and banning outdoor amplified music. Supporters called it a vital LGBTQ safe space; a neighbor raised ongoing noise complaints.
Cannabis Equity Program funding and milestones
The state-funded program helps people harmed by the war on drugs open cannabis businesses, with $1.2 million awarded for 2026 and five new equity dispensaries expected to open this year. The program restructured its grant milestones so applicants don't burn cash before securing a viable location.
Downtown Long Beach Design District
A coalition of creative businesses is building a design district downtown, activating empty storefronts and drawing visitors through art walks and festivals. Commissioners discussed expanding the model to the East Side and tracking economic impact metrics.
Lack of banking access in West Long Beach
West Long Beach has no traditional bank branch, leaving many residents reliant on check-cashing stores and high-fee ATMs. A FUSE fellow is pursuing short, medium, and long-term pathways to bring financial services to the area, including a bankers' roundtable in April 2026 and a possible Self-Help Federal Credit Union loan center.
Third-party food delivery fees
A first reading advanced on an ordinance capping delivery app fees to restaurants at 15% of the purchase price, protecting local eateries from steep platform commissions.
Long Beach Economic Partnership rebrand and sustainability
The city's public-private economic development arm is rebranding as Invest Long Beach by June, with $500K in public funding over three years and a goal of 8,000 new jobs by 2028. The CEO is studying how to become mostly privately funded, modeled on groups like the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.
Entertainment Strategic Plan
The city hired Sound Diplomacy to map its music and entertainment economy — venues, policies, placemaking — as Long Beach positions itself as an entertainment hub before the 2028 Olympics.
Know Your Rights and rapid response for immigrant-owned businesses
With immigration enforcement affecting local businesses, the city funds Know Your Rights outreach that has reached 300+ businesses, plus a rapid-response team that responds to raids and vandalism within hours. Funding runs through September 2026 unless extended.
Grand Prix and event preparations
Marine Bureau crews are painting, cleaning, and repairing docks, signage, and landscaping ahead of the Grand Prix (April 17-19) and a busy event season. One commissioner questioned whether the Grand Prix should contribute money for the beautification work.
Permanent Taxicab Program
The city found Yellow Cab's service adequate, will end the modernization pilot in April, and moved to a permanent taxi program with updated rules. Three council members sat out due to campaign contributions from the company.
Douglas Park final buildout and Conant Street vacation
The last vacant land in Douglas Park gets its final buildout: expanded industrial buildings, a 2,800-space parking structure, and a privatized Conant Street for a secure single-tenant campus expected to create more than 5,000 jobs.
Utility workforce development programs
The department is building its future workforce through an academy program now partnered with Long Beach City College, plus hosting high school tours via the Water Replenishment District. A member asked whether Catholic schools like St. Anthony are included.
AI and the future of local jobs
Board members and staff discussed how AI is reshaping work — companies laying off thousands while posting record profits, and youth needing AI skills. The board is weaving AI literacy into training and will host a Business and AI Summit on April 29.
Economic Blueprint 2.0
The city's ten-year economic development guide covers eight focus areas, from growing industry clusters like aerospace and the creative economy to small business support, digital equity, and preparing for the 2028 Olympics.
Creative economy workforce training contract
The board approved up to $48,000 in federal WIOA funds for Codega Media to train ten residents for entertainment industry jobs, tied to Long Beach's growing amphitheater and film presence. The pilot could expand if successful.
Revolving loan fund expansion and $750,000 grant award
The city won a $750,000 grant it applied for in 2023, expanding the revolving loan fund that helps small businesses borrow. Commissioners also want a full review of the fund's lending history, including defaults, by industry and district.
Westside business association and potential business improvement district
The city's BIDs keep commercial corridors clean, safe, and active, generating about 24% of citywide retail sales on just 6% of the land. They're asking the city for sustainable funding beyond one-time grants, faster permitting, and support as a new BID forms in Wrigley.