Belmont Shore Business in Gov't. This Week

Belmont Shore will see multiple items of relevance to the neighborhood on tonight's City Council agenda, ranging from alcohol licenses to sign repair.

District 3:

• The Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area, which is a government committee, collects money from businesses in the Belmont Shore area in the form of property taxes and other fees, which are then allocated to the Belmont Shore Business Association to market and promote these businesses.

Every year, the BSPBIA submits an assessment of fees to the Council for approval and acknowledges their responsibility's to determine fees for the next year. This year, the memo states that "the Assessment Report proposes no change in the basis and method of levying the assessment and no significant change in proposed activities." The agenda item will set the date of the next BSPBIA public hearing as September 20th, 2011.

• Three businesses, La Palapa, Belmont Brewing Co. and Beach Ventures, wish to refurbish a city-owned sign to more accurately direct visitors to these businesses. The city won't pay for it, but simply authorize the updates to the sign, located at Termino Ave. and Livingston Dr.

• Cal State Long Beach seeks to renew their agreement with the LBUSD to share Blair Field and its parking lot through a Joint Use Agreement. LBUSD will entitled to use this field to play 26 baseball games over a period of 22 days.

• Four original alcohol licenses are up for approval: Corks Away at205 North Marina Drive, Alamitos Bay Landing; Belmont Burger at4400 East 4th Street (this item will be postponed); CA Wine Room at 194 Marina Drive Suite 101 (with conditions); El Burrito Grill at 5211 East Pacific Coast Highway.

Citywide

• The city will be looking into ways to update their online web communications system to become a "24 Hour Online City Hall." Some of these new web systems could be Neighborhood Mapping, Social Media Integration and extension of online services. The item is proposed by Councilman Robert Garcia and backed by Councilman Gary DeLong.

• The 2011-2012 Sustainable City Commission Annual Work Plan is available now to be approved. This commission strives to make Long Beach a greener city. Last year, Long Beach was 3rd in the nation for the most community garden plots per 10,000 people and was awarded grants for projects such as the cleanup and restoration of Colorado Lagoon.

• As budget hearings continue, many services are at the mercy of the deficit. One item seeks to request that the Port of Long Beach continue funding $50,000 toward the Long Beach Municipal Band and much-loved summer concert series for 2012.

There will also be a continued budget hearing at 3:30 p.m. right before the regular council meeting. It is open to the public and located at 333 Ocean Blvd.

There is no Planning Commission meeting this week.