Long Beach · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Long Beach public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Historic El Niño and community storm preparedness
Forecasters expect a historic El Niño, with king tides falling on Thanksgiving and Christmas week. The city is running pre-season sandbag giveaways, pushing Alert Long Beach sign-ups, and teaching residents to build go bags and stay kits before storms hit.
Flood Cleanup
City crews in Long Beach are rushing to clean up flood damage before high tides hit again. If you live near the coast, expect some street closures.
Coastal erosion and managed retreat on the Peninsula
Successive December-through-February storms have squeezed the Peninsula beach down to the width of a dump truck in places. Staff said dredging will re-nourish the beach, and consultants are developing best management practices for ongoing backpassing and berm maintenance.
Westside Promise Initiative progress and accountability
The ten-year, place-based investment plan for West Long Beach is three years in, with park upgrades, tree plantings, and night markets — but residents say there are no measurable benchmarks and that pollution and clean air must come first.
Airport sustainability performance
The airport is ahead of its pollution and carbon goals — already at 67% carbon reduction versus a 40%-by-2030 target — and halved electricity costs at parking structure B. Staff are exploring battery storage to keep the airport running during outages.
Hurricane Rachel storm response
Weekend storm surge flooded the Peninsula and Naples areas, red-tagging eight homes. Utility crews staffed the sewer station, sealed manholes, and shut off water and gas to damaged homes — no sewer system failures occurred.
Sea level rise and flooding preparedness
Long Beach faces long-term flood risk from sea level rise, and its storm drain system — some of it a century old — can't handle today's intense storms. Upgrading it could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, with a master plan update going out to bid this spring.
Storm-related overtime costs
Recent storms generated overtime for marina staff that will hit both FY26 and FY27 budgets. The committee asked staff to break out storm costs by equipment and manpower at a future meeting.
50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act
The committee wants to invite former Coastal Commissioner Mel Mutter to speak at the next meeting, marking 50 years of the Coastal Act — Long Beach certified the state's first local coastal plan. A certificate of recognition is planned.
Storm Preparation
This year's El Niño is the strongest on record by ocean temperature readings, and king tides around Thanksgiving and Christmas could magnify storm damage along the coast. The city is shifting to proactive sandbag distribution with pre-filled bags at multiple locations, and urging residents to sign up for Alert Long Beach and build emergency kits.