Long Beach · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Long Beach public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Strengthening Long Beach's just-cause eviction ordinance
Tenant advocates want the city to eliminate substantial remodel as an eviction ground, set a two-month non-payment threshold, raise relocation assistance to LA County levels, and cover all renters including those in single-family homes. The current ordinance meets only the state minimum and sunsets in 2030. The committee will develop recommendations for the full council.
Proposed FAIR Act ethics ordinance
Long Beach wants to consolidate ethics, gift, conflict-of-interest, and lobbying rules into one ordinance instead of having them scattered across the municipal code. The study session let council members weigh in before drafting continues — big open questions include how calendar disclosures work and how violations get enforced.
Objective Design Standards for ADUs on historic properties
New draft rules will spell out exactly how backyard ADUs must look in historic districts — covering height, placement, roof forms, and materials. Public comment is open through July 31, with a study session July 28.
Zone In Bixby Knolls rezoning and housing capacity
The city is rezoning Bixby Knolls corridors to allow mixed-use housing and new main street districts, partly to meet state RHNA housing obligations and fair-housing requirements to add capacity in high-resource areas. Neighbors fiercely opposed one parcel — the former Boy Scouts lot at 401 East 37th Street — saying it would bring dense townhomes into an intact single-family block.
Enhanced Density Bonus update
The city's local density bonus is barely used — only five projects in years — so staff proposed a simpler, more generous program with bonuses for parks-adjacent, senior, and community-benefit housing to help meet RHNA goals.
Just Cause ordinance reform — substantial remodel loophole
Dozens of tenants and organizers demanded a 150-day eviction moratorium and a ban on substantial-remodel evictions, citing families displaced during ICE enforcement. The council took no action but the mayor offered to meet with a small group of organizers.
Mobile food facility (food truck) regulations
New citywide rules would unify food trucks and ice cream trucks under one 'mobile food facility' definition, let them operate on private property where restaurants are allowed, and designate beach and park parking spots — with local health permits replacing the LA County loophole.
Lime Avenue split-zoning fix and housing potential
A vacant city-owned parcel in North Long Beach has been stuck with a split zoning designation; the recommended change to three-story mixed-use could unlock housing but raised neighbor concerns about height and parking.
Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) program
Long Beach is one step from letting residents legally sell home-cooked meals. The fight was over whether landlords must be notified when a tenant gets a permit — the council removed that requirement, keeping only a self-attestation. Final reading comes at the next meeting.
Ranked Choice Voting charter amendment
The commission endorsed a letter asking City Council to create a charter amendment committee to put ranked choice voting on the November 2026 ballot for municipal races, eliminating the city primary. Supporters cite higher turnout and more representative outcomes in cities like Minneapolis; a trigger clause would activate it only when LA County has the technology.
2026 Historic Preservation Work Plan
Staff will update the citywide historic context statement (last done in 2009), review the Mills Act tax-abatement program, and study changes to the certificate of appropriateness process, including the 250-square-foot threshold for commission review and objective design standards for ADUs in historic districts. A draft context statement goes out for public review in spring 2026.