Long Beach · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Long Beach public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Mentorship and empowerment program directory
The commission created the first centralized list of mentorship programs for women and girls in Long Beach, to be posted on the Office of Equity website and updated twice a year. Commissioners hope it becomes a go-to resource for families.
Mentorship and empowerment programs for women and girls
The Mentorship and Education Ad Hoc Committee is close to finishing a directory of Long Beach organizations serving women and girls, which the commission hopes to publish and grow into partnerships.
Equity in contract class distribution
A commissioner noted most of the 17 renewed instructor classes are on the east side of the city. Staff explained space constraints and pointed to growing westside and downtown offerings, including a new karate class at Drake Park.
Street cleaning and beautification funding
With a projected surplus, commissioners want more cleaning frequency, median landscaping, and decorative lighting on Second Street — and plan to invite public beautification ideas next month.
Drake Park Community Center reopening
The remodeled Drake Park Community Center reopened after three years of off-and-on improvements, with new bathrooms, roof, flooring, and energy-efficient upgrades.
Senior adult education partnerships with Long Beach City College
LBCC offers free non-credit courses — computer skills, trades, financial literacy — and wants to host them at senior centers. Commissioners suggested a citywide survey of what classes seniors actually want.
Community fee waivers for parks events
Four community events — a mental health awareness day, a school 5K, a charity softball tournament, and a church fall fair — received $6,041.50 in fee waivers, lowering costs for local nonprofits and community groups using city parks.
Park vandalism and ambassador program savings
September vandalism and theft cost $5,396, lower than typical. The city's ambassador teams, which took over restroom opening, closing, and cleaning from a contractor, have cut evening vandalism repair costs by about 50%.
Inclusive and accessible playgrounds
Residents said no local playground fits older children and adults with developmental disabilities. Commissioner Jones noted Ramona Park is partially adaptive and a universally accessible playground is planned, but no funding was added this year and full build-out isn't expected until about 2030.
Potential renaming of Chavez Park
The city is exploring whether to rename Chavez Park, with the Office of Equity leading a public input process. A recommendation could come back to the commission later.
Facility naming honors
The banners reception is on for September 10 at the Long Beach Yacht Club thanks to cost savings and a sponsor. Honorees from 2024-2026 will be invited, with framed banner keepsakes as gifts.
County Park Grants for Neighborhood Projects
The council accepted $5.79M in county grant money for the 10th Street Greenbelt, Washington Neighborhood Community Center and Willow Springs Trailhead.
Relocating MAC meetings from the Long Beach Yacht Club to a public space
Commissioners debated moving meetings out of the private yacht club to a free public venue, with the Conservation Corps conference room near the Third District field office as a leading candidate. Staff will check availability and fees.
Swimming access and equity
Multiple speakers urged the city to prioritize swim lessons and pool access, noting lessons fill quickly, some neighborhoods lack pools, and drowning safety is an equity issue.
East Village Arts Park activation
A usually-locked downtown park will be activated through a partnership with the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, giving the East Village Arts District — which lacks green space — free community programming.
Senior center programming and National Senior Center Month
The city's six senior centers are running a month-long scavenger-hunt style event series through September, ending with a dance at Hamilton Park on September 25.
Food and beverage pricing at municipal golf courses
The committee endorsed updated menu and pricing for the courses' food and beverage operations, which now goes to the Director for final approval. Most prices stay flat or rise modestly, some breakfast items drop, and the kids' menu would be removed at three courses.
Fee waivers for community organizations
Seven community groups asked the city to waive park permit fees for events like food distributions, an Earth Day celebration, and spring egg hunts. The largest request, about $14,000, came from Community Action Partnership of Orange County for monthly food distributions at three parks.
Houghton Park Playground Rebuild
District 9's Houghton Park gets a $2.7 million playground reconstruction contract — a tangible neighborhood improvement.
Senior programs and commission outreach
The commission approved its new mission statement, brochure, and flyers to raise its public profile, and heard updates on senior programming at the Expo Arts Center and an upcoming meeting at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Belmont Pier structural integrity question
The committee wants a public presentation on efforts to improve the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier before the 2028 Olympics, led by Council Member Kristina Duggan's advisory group, since no Tidelands or general funds are currently available.
Veterans banner program installation
The 2025 banner committee was dissolved and the 2026 committee continues its work, with meetings moved to Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. so Vice Chair Atkins Blade can attend. Members want to rebalance scoring between military and community service and consider darker lettering for readability.
Houghton Park Senior Program
Houghton Park's senior program offers classes, day camps, trips and health screenings for older adults. Staff are working to spread the word, since many nearby seniors don't know the services exist.
Office of Youth Development Report
The board approved creating a standing Youth Voice Advisory Committee so young people help shape workforce programs that serve them. Fellows argued it avoids tokenism and builds accountability; it will require a bylaw amendment and a charter.
Golden Grove event behavior and enforcement
Commissioners discussed problem events at Golden Grove in El Dorado Regional Park, including car clubs parking on grass and disturbing neighborhoods. The higher deposit and a possible shift of permitting to the special events office are tools being considered.
Tidelands capital projects
Big projects moving: 19 lifeguard tower replacements by end of 2026, Colorado Lagoon utility work done, Davies Boat Launch upgrades by 2027, and a channel dredging funding application to the Coastal Conservancy.
Assembly Bill 1954 — equitable access to public golf courses
The committee's earlier recommendation that the city support AB 1954 is still pending internally, while the bill itself cleared the Assembly and heads to Senate committee June 16.
Mentorship and education outreach funding
The commission put $5,000 toward tabling equipment and giveaways so it can show up consistently at community events and connect women and girls with mentorship resources. A resource guide of local mentorship programs is in the works.
Olympic rowing venue use of Marine Stadium
LA28 has a venue use guarantee for Marine Stadium starting around April 2028 through the Games, but has promised to phase work so existing user groups like the rowing association can stay as long as possible.
Port of Long Beach accessibility and community engagement
The Port presented its free ADA-accessible harbor tours, $65 million community grants program, and sponsorships requiring ADA compliance. Commissioners pushed the port to go beyond minimum ADA standards — scooter users have gotten stuck in narrow boat areas and narration is hard to hear — and the port agreed to take the feedback to its team.
Public restroom shortage at marina
Commissioner Mac Rae pressed again on the single public restroom at the Alamitos Bay venue, which saw nine people queued at one toilet during a recent event. A boat-owner restroom across from the AquaLink is being redesigned into a two-stall multipurpose facility.
Restroom shortages for boaters and visitors
Boaters report long lines of people trying to use boathouse restrooms when no public facilities are open, and a restroom art/painting project is moving through procurement.
Support for AB 1954 (Protecting Access to Reservations Act)
Third-party brokers currently resell tee times at municipal courses legally, driving up costs and making weekend tee times nearly impossible for regular golfers to book. AB 1954 would give cities like Long Beach a civil cause of action to stop the practice. The committee's letter is the first step in getting the Mayor and Council to formally endorse the bill.
Mentorship and education programming for women and girls
The mentorship and education ad hoc is building partnerships with Junior League Long Beach and Assistance League, using leads from resident Samantha Aviles, with a goal of completing a mentorship program reference guide by June 30, 2026.
Central Facilities Center renaming request
The commission recommended naming the MLK Jr. Park facility after Dale Clinton, a 99-year-old civil rights leader who helped establish the center in 1974. Community members collected 400+ signatures and asked the city to also reactivate the underused facility.
Dale Clinton Facilities Center renaming
The council began the process of renaming the Central Facilities Center at MLK Park for Dale Clinton, a 98-year-old civil rights and anti-poverty advocate who helped create the center. Nearly 400 residents signed a petition in support.
Second off-leash dog beach at Junipero Beach
The city is planning a second off-leash dog beach east of the Junipero Beach parking lot, modeled on Rosie's Dog Beach, to give downtown residents closer access. Commissioners pressed on safety near the playground, parking, and enforcement of dog rules. Environmental review and Coastal Commission permitting come next, with opening roughly a year or more away.
Dog beach expansion concerns
Commissioner Mac Rae flagged uncollected dog waste at Rosie's Dog Beach as a health concern, especially with the 2028 Olympics and a second dog beach planned. Staff said daily cleaning and bag stations exist, but enforcement is limited, and a community meeting on the new dog beach was held the night before.
Fee waivers for community programs
Seven community groups got $30,627 in park fees waived this month, including health fairs, food giveaways, literacy events, and band rehearsals. Climb Central Long Beach is activating the newly rebuilt MacArthur Park with a string of free community events.
Dog park designation process and off-leash space needs
District 1 residents say their dense, apartment-heavy neighborhoods have no adequate dog parks, and the downtown options are unusable. The council asked staff to return within 120 days with a process for designating dog parks and an inventory of needs citywide. One speaker cited $17 million in unspent county Measure A park funds across districts.
Navy Trust appointment and preservation grant funding
The Navy Trust funds preservation projects only within Long Beach; the commission makes three of its board appointments annually. The new appointee fills the seat of retired trustee Peter Devereaux.
Park Rx pilot "Play, Breathe, Repeat LB"
Long Beach is launching its first Park Rx program: a pediatric clinic will prescribe time in parks to middle schoolers ages 11-14, who check in at MacArthur, McBride and MLK Jr. parks with a passport booklet. The six-month pilot starts late February or early March, and health data stays confidential with the clinic.
2026 Memorial Day event with USS Frank E. Evans
The Memorial Day ceremony is set for Sunday, May 24, 2026, in partnership with the USS Frank E. Evans organization, with a new three-member ad hoc committee planning it. A Port of Long Beach grant of $5,000 will be sought again, and a Bob Hope impersonator is being considered.
Youth Week 2026 planning
The Office of Youth Development has set the week of April 20, 2026 for Youth Week, with roughly two to three days of events for ages 13-26 and a mayor's office event closing it out Saturday, April 25. Dates will be announced once locations are confirmed.
Regional older adult services — Signal Hill presentation
Signal Hill officials showed how their city serves older adults, giving Long Beach's commission a neighboring model to compare against. Ideas from the presentation could inform future senior programming here.
Mobile showers and basic services for unsheltered residents
The city bought a four-person shower truck, and the advisory committee is pushing for drop-in centers, trash cleanup, and places to charge phones and use bathrooms — basic dignity for people still on the street.
Elevate 28 capital projects preview
Public Works will present the city's five-year Elevate 28 capital program at next week's commission meeting, covering dozens of park projects including the MacArthur Park redo and new playgrounds at Silverado, Ramona and Davenport parks.
Tree-trimming jurisdiction between Marine Bureau and Public Works
One side of a street can fall under the Marine Bureau and the other under Public Works, leading to inconsistent tree trimming. The committee wants a map clarifying who is responsible for what.