by Chris Munzing
At the first meeting of the new Long Beach City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 6, it was obvious that changes were coming, and coming soon.
The main issue on the agenda was the notification of a public hearing on the removal of the position of Director of Operations from the city charter. The controversial position, created by -- and many allege, for -- Democratic party chief Eugene Cammarato, is now filled by his deputy Steve Polcer. The measure is expected to pass.
Councilman Denis Kelly, however, was hopeful that the council will look at the entire charter to see where the problems are, and not just focus on one position. "Don't just look at the elimination of one position," he said. "We should look at the whole thing."
Jim Hennessy, elected the council's president Jan. 1, assured the public that the issue of the Director of Operations position is just the beginning of what the council plans to do.
"This is one step in the massive task of revising the charter," he said.
Also addressed at the council were new changes that would be made to the format of the meetings themselves. Currently, each member of the public is given three minutes to speak on the entire agenda, a rule put in place by the previous council led by Joel Crystal.
Now it appears that the rule, which raised the ire of many, will be amended. Hennessy said that a change in the rule is coming, but would not elaborate further. "The council has not reached a consensus on what that change will be," said Hennessy.
In another attempt to become a kinder and gentler council, Hennessy also announced that public works sessions, which take place before the council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, will be opened to the public. According to Hennessy, this is to provide the public with a window into how their government works and how decisions are reached. Though the public would not be able to comment at these meetings, Long Beach residents will receive access to the city government as not seen before. The works sessions run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the top floor of City Hall.
Next Tuesday at 7 p.m., residents can come to the top floor of City Hall and hear the report from new comptroller Alice Schildkraut on the status of the city's finances. There has been much concern on the fiscal state of the city recently, especially with members of the Republican-led council promising a "tax freeze" for the city's residents.
Also approved at the meeting were the waivers of off-street parking requirements for 933 W. Beech St., which will house The Ocean Press, and 1026 West Beech St., a grocery store/deli.
The Ocean Press was previously located at 315 Riverside Blvd. Manager Paul Green said that the store's new space will better serve the customers, and house the business.
"It's a better location to better serve our customers," said Paul Green. "We'll have much better facilities." Green said that The Ocean Press, has been at its current location of 315 Riverside Blvd. since 1935.
Green said while looking for a new space, there was never any thought about leaving Long Beach and its customers. "We could never leave," he said. Ryan & Walis Realty handled the transaction which Green was more than pleased with. "Excellent Realtors," he said.
The space lies on the corner of Vermont Street and West Beech Street and was the former site of Ryan & Walis's West End office. The Ocean Press will be paying $23.94 per square foot, which was described as on the high end for retail in that neighborhood, but in no way exorbitant.
The grocery store/deli waiver was also passed, but Councilman Lenny Remo voted against the item, because he said the West End did not need another location selling beer. "Another establishment looking to sell beer is superfluous," he said.
"In my five years of government service, there's always been a feeling in the West End that there are too many places there that sell liquor," Remo said later. "Adding another liquor-licensed premisis to the West End doesn't seem to be in the neighborhood's best interest."
A Realtor who was not involved in the transaction said that despite the abundance of similar businesses in the area, he is confident that this grocery/deli will thrive. "I've always been amazed how delis can open on every corner and succeed," he said. "It's amazing."
