City Council Meeting – August 21th Edition
What’s on the August 21st agenda? Nothing exciting. There is no reason to read the rest of this article. Go outside while the weather is still nice and enjoy the beach. For those who love to be bored to death, please read on.
- More Bamboo talk: Make sure your non-invasive bamboo doesn’t grow on a neighbor’s property, or you’ll be fined $250 per day. Make sure you have no invasive bamboo whatsoever, or your head will be cut off. This Ordinance shall take effect three months after enactment.
- Amend and specify the hours for all commercial garbage collection, effective September 15, 2012. I am really happy about this. I think it’s going to make a big difference keeping our streets cleaner.
- Personnel change: In an effort to address quality of life concerns and to keep the streets clean of garbage, a current sanitation worker will be empowered to become a sanitation inspector in order to enforce City Code regulations regarding all sanitation collection. Also known as: Delete: One (1) Sanitation Worker ($43,717.00). Add: One (1) Sanitation Inspector $50,030.00
- Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Masonry Work at Various Locations Throughout the City of Long Beach on an “As-Needed” Basis. I see plenty of “As-needed” mason work in front of all the stores on Park Avenue. Did somebody say sidewalk overhaul?
- Enter into an Agreement with the New York Power Authority Energy Conservation Project. Project will include the replacement of 960 street lights throughout the City to more energy efficient induction lighting, as well as an upgrade to the lighting systems at both City Hall and the Ice Arena. More of those energy efficient lights for people to complain about?
- Resolution Appointing Eight (8) Members to the Board of Ethics for the City of Long Beach. Look at the agenda for the list of ethical people.
- Waive the Off-Street Parking Requirements for the premises located at 895 West Beech Street (street floor) to be used as a Thai Restaurant.
- Resolution Authorizing Publication for Hearing of an Ordinance Authorizing Separation Payments to Employees in and for the City of Long Beach, Nassau County, New York, at an Estimated Cost of $5,450,000, and Authorizing the Issuance of up to $5,450,000 Bonds of Said City to Pay Part of the Cost Thereof. Legislative Memo: This item is on for publication only. Issuance of this Bond allows the City to amortize the cost of separation/retirement payments (this was included in the CSEA Memorandum of Agreement) to employees over a period of five years. Legislation was approved authorizing and empowering the City to prepare for such events. by the State Senate, Bill No. S7672 and the Assembly, Bill No. A9954. (yeah, I just copied and pasted the whole thing. I haven’t had enough coffee yet to figure this one out. Bond ordinance, retirement payments, blah blah blah.)
- Certificates & Acknowledgements to the Summer Police Specials of 2012 & CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO Firefighter Dave Yolinsky, For His True Heroism at the Scene of an Accident Staying with and Aiding a Man in a Wheelchair that was Hit by a Truck. Way to go folks!
Aug 21, 2012 @ 10:24:07
The Thai restaurant is a great concept that will be slightly different than Chaba (but same owners, nicest people). More of a noodle shop which is fucking amazing for post-surf sessions.
Sanitation Inspector? Really? I call bullshit on that position. Do they currently have no supervisor in sanitation? Is this “inspector” going to walk around and look at sidewalks because people in the West End have their collective panties in a bunch? Someone please explain how this is necessary.
Aug 21, 2012 @ 13:10:53
Ahem. They currently have no supervisor. That’s why they have taken an existing position and created a supervisory inspector position. WEBA has been pushing the city for a sanitation code enforcement officer since last summer when we appeared before the City Council and handed out pictures of piles of commercial trash on Beech Street sitting outside in the sun for several hours (sometimes all night) plus broken bottles, cigarette boxes, paper plates, etc. in the gutters and on sidewalks.
For the first time there is a $30k revenue line item for sanitation fines in the 2012/2013 budget and I think if this enforcement person is even marginally effective the actual revenue will be twice that. Last fall, WEBA created a Good Neighbor Award program for business owners so they would know what their responsibilities are with respect to sanitation code compliance. So they’ve had a year to “get with the program”.
In order to attract quality businesses to our commercial districts as well as enhance the quality of life for residents (especially in the West End where we are all so close) sanitation code enforcement is critical.
So when you are enjoying your Thai food outside and you’re not sitting amidst someone else’s litter and commercial garbage, you can thank the folks who got their “collective panties (and boxers and tighty whities) in a bunch”
Aug 21, 2012 @ 19:28:04
Thanks for the response! How has there been no supervisor in that department? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever – oh wait there’s no head of transportation. Ok so that’s the 2nd stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.
As for eating Thai food around others people garbage- it’ll feel authentic.
I love what you do and truly see you as the Long Beach Jane Jacobs (compliment!). What is tiffing me off is the uber focus on the West when we also have people who live over here in the East End. We have shops that ignore the sidewalks altogether. We just don’t have a collective panty bunch.
If this position and tax payers money is going to a sanitation supervisor position I want it to be for the WHOLE city, not just the West End. When I lived in the West End (which I moved to specifically for the bars and density as I’m a city person) it actually irked me to hear so much focus on the West. I found Brooklyn to be more peaceful.
Aug 22, 2012 @ 07:30:21
This isn’t just for the West End! I personally advocated for the sanitation times to change and for the inspector for the center of town. I called, had meetings, took pictures, stopped city officials in the streets over the garbage issues on Park Ave. I am not part of an association just a resident who cares. I guess you could say I to have my collective panties in a bunch for my neighborhood the center of town.
Instead of criticizing the city when they are making changes that are positive, why don’t you get your panties in a bunch and do something for your neighborhood. You don’t need to be an association like West End Beautification you just have to be a resident who cares enough to pick up the phone or walk into city hall and ask for change!
Thank you to Jack Schnirman and Jim LaCarrubba for listening to resident and taking the time and energy to solve her problem.
Aug 21, 2012 @ 13:10:53
There are definitely sanitation problems from time to time, and how to complain effectively has been very unclear. At our house we worked for years, literally, trying to get our recycling picked up every week. We started keeping logs of our dozens and dozens of calls to sanitation; we also called the city manager’s office repeatedly. Things would get better and then they’d skip our recycling yet again. But when this new administration came in, that was the end of our recycling problem–overnight. I don’t know exactly how this happened—I just know that it did. This sanitation inspector is a small change in expense and speaks to improving the quality of life here in LB, which I think ultimately supports property values, so I personally am in favor of this. Also–those of us who live near the LIRR really get hit with a lot of trash from tourists.
Aug 21, 2012 @ 13:21:06
Duh! “Personnel change”, not “personal change.” Sorry for the typo.. I’m working on a few hours of sleep here…
Anyway, I’m not sure what a sanitation inspector will do, but I applaud the WEBA for getting the commercial garbage pickup more organized. I grew tired of seeing boxes of crap getting their contents blown all over town. A cleaner Long Beach is a happier Long Beach.
Aug 22, 2012 @ 10:52:45
For the record, sanitation inspectors make LESS than sanitation men picking up trash. Not sure if this is the norm or not but if so it shouldn’t be a promotion with a 14.4% raise.
Aug 22, 2012 @ 11:07:51
that’s in NYC… left that part out!
Aug 23, 2012 @ 13:01:21
Thanks to everyone who brings attention to problems in LB and for the city for their response !