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Politics & Government

No Heat on Police Contract, as Expected

City Council spent hours debating three main issues--none of them police pension reductions.

The predicted fireworks were a no-show Tuesday night.

City officials suggested last week that the debate around public safety--cut officers, reduce firefighters to relatively rare three to a truck-- would be in full force during Tuesday night's Long Beach City Council meeting. The city has, after all, been battling to reduce a $40 million deficit. Fur was flying over double digit police officer layoffs that were approved recently by the City Council.

After four hours, there was no debate on this previously charged topic when the matter finally came up on the agenda. Instead, there were just comments of praise exchanged for pension reductions, and thanks from Mayor Bob Foster to POA President Steve James for leading his membership to the compromise.

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There was lengthy debate by Council members, however. It happened early in the meeting and went on for hours.

The first debate came when Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal entered a motion “suggesting” that local dentists make a move towards “Green Dentistry.” Over a dozen community members, local dentists and experts on dentistry spoke about the issue to a council that was admittedly lacking knowledge on the topic.

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The second debate, significantly more intense on the council’s side, was whether or not to pass a motion to move forward with a Proposition L analysis that would initiate a review of all potential impacts of bidding out on an item, in this case, towing services.

The analysis will move forward after a 6-2 vote, but Councilman Steven Neal strongly opposed the analysis because he felt that “contracting out will cost tax payers more money in the long run.”

“The role as providers of public services will change to the role of buying public services,” he said. “I am not in the favor of the study at all, it does not add to the economy. This would eliminate jobs for people doing work in Long Beach, people who actually live in a city.”

But Councilman Gary DeLong said the intention of the analysis is to look for opportunities to eliminate or decrease cost, and the analysis would determine financial benefits if there are any.

“We need a fair and equitable process, though we do want to make sure the existing operation gets a fair shake in this analysis,” he said. “We need to go forward with this process in order to find new, alternate, cost-effective ideas.”

Director of Financial Management John Gross said that the city's current towing contract brings in anywhere from $2.7 to $3 million a year.

“It is certainly a significant revenue source,” he said. 

During one public comment, a Long Beach native and local contractor of the city, said the work that is done by towing companies is driven by the police department.

“This year the city will probably complete 1,370 tows, which is a 40 percent decline from last year,” he said. “There has been a 40 percent decline in 2011, there have been tremendous declines, that is not a tow companies issue we are a tool, the police enforce the laws.”

Nearly three hours was spent by the Council on these two topics, and in addition, the uncontroversial motion directing City Manager Patrick West to start lobbing Boeing to bring its new 737 re-engining project to one of Long Beach’s exiting Boeing facilities.

Mayor Bob Foster said he is hopeful for a positive response in reaching out to Boeing, adding "All we know is that this is a possibility.”

The “recommendation to adopt a resolution approving the Amendment to the 2009-2014 Memoranda of Understanding with the Long Beach Police Officer's Association,” passed with a 7-0 vote, but there was no discussion on the topic even though significant cuts, $20.3 million were made.

The cuts were a part of 2012 budget that was pushed through Sept. 6, the most prominent being the cuts that both the police and fire departments saw — 32 sworn police officer positions and a proposal to shrink crews on city fire engines from four firefighters to three.

The new deal, which passed Tuesday night, increased police officers pay by 8 percent effective Oct. 1, but the officers will now forgo contractually planned raised of 3 percent in 2014 and 6 percent in 2014.

Officers will also have to increase their pension contributions from 2 percent of their salary to the full 9 percent — a 7 percent increase. And instead of receiving 3 percent of their salary for each year of service upon retirement, as current officers do, new police officers will get 2 percent for each year on the job.

What does this mean?

The city has to pay an extra $2.575 million in the coming fiscal year because of the pay raise and to avoid layoffs. Officials have estimated that Long Beach will save at least $16.6 million through fiscal year 2016 — and over the next 11 years, the city will save about $69 million. 

Gross, Long Beach's director of financial management, said last week that the plan would “significantly help” close the estimated $40.3 million budget shortfall through 2014.

The council was very happy with the agreement. 

Councilman Patrick O’Donnell said it is very good for the city.

“This is true pension reform, a yes vote on this is a yes vote for the city,” he said.

Foster thanked the entire force and all those involved in making this happen, but said “there still will be cuts, but hopefully they will be smaller.”

“This enables us to get to a balanced situation by fiscal year 2014,” he said. “This was unanimous vote, I want to point that out.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske sent an e-mail announcing that she has filed for the newly created 70th Assembly District. The thing was, she wasn't present at the time at Tuesday night's Council meeting.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske sent an e-mail announcing that she has filed for the newly created 70th Assembly District.

“The people of the newly drawn 70th Assemby District deserve experienced leadership and someone who is strong enough to stand up and do the right thing in Sacramento,” she said in a press release e-mailed at .

A Long Beach native, she has both taught in the city and owned her own business. She said she has raised a family here and has represented residents as a Long Beach City College Trustee and a councilwoman.

“My top priorities are: getting California working again, improving our schools, protecting our quality of life and making government open and transparent,” she said in the release. 

Schipske is serving her second term on the City Council, she is a licensed attorney and registered nurse practitioner, in addition to teaching law and human resources at California State University Long Beach and managing a nurse-legal consulting practice.

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