Our city should be beautiful, safe, and prosperous. We the residents should be able to enjoy our public spaces and have the quality of life we deserve and pay for.
Ketty Citterio
THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW.
Four years ago I joined the Friends of Bixby Park because I could not stand by watching our beautiful coastal community continue to deteriorate. I made it my mission to rescue the park by organizing monthly clean ups, activating it with events, enhancing public safety, and helping the unhoused get aid and support.
I wish those in City Hall today pursued these goals with actions, not just rhetoric. Our city should be beautiful, safe, and prosperous. We the residents should be able to enjoy our public spaces and have the quality of life we deserve and pay for.
WE NEED A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO CARES.
We need a council member who is present, responsive, and who has shown she will roll up her sleeves and engage directly with the challenges we face.
My priorities as your council member will be:
- Homelessness
- Safety
- Parking
- Noise Pollution
- Beaches
- Trash
- Small Businesses
- City Spending Accountability
- Openness and Communication with Residents
- Focus on Seniors and Youth
“To my LGBTQ family: I’ve got your back!” – Ketty
WHAT MAKES LONG BEACH IS COMMUNITY.
We, the community, need to be seen and heard.
Homelessness
Tiny homes are affordable, quick to put up, portable and can house people now. We need to treat the homelessness emergency like a genuine emergency. And after spending tens of millions on motel purchases, we need to get the work down and fill those unused rooms (the Luxury Inn, Motel 6, and Holiday Inn were all purchased to address homelessness but still lay vacant).
We urgently need to hire more MET and Quality of Life Officers to handle issues with people in need and crisis. There needs to be an active network of communication established between all agencies involved instead of each one working for itself.
Transparency, accountability, and progress should be how we measure success. Long-term housing, rehab, and mental health treatment successfully completed for individuals is the only things which genuinely constitute results, not how many water bottles and sanitary packs are given out by LB Homelessness Services personnel.
Safety
Enough with feeling unsafe in our neighborhoods!
I will push to increase the numbers of Park Rangers, Marine Patrol, CSI, Lifeguards, Peace Officers, and to get them properly trained to expand their duties in addressing safety on foot. That will release PD from low priority calls and allow them to be there when needed.
I no longer want to hear, “Our hands are tied” from PD officers. We have laws on the books. It’s their job to enforce them. If we don’t nip the issue in the bud, we lose control over our community.
Environment
We are Long Beach! We must have clean beaches all year round. We need to push for implementation of trash collection system to improve water quality in our two rivers (LA and San Gabriel) and keep them from dumping so much into our ocean.
We also need:
- buffer zones around oil wells to protect residents from health hazards (in line with SB1137)
- to work for conversion of the dangerous MHF (hydrofluoric acid) tank at Valero Wilmington refinery on the southwestern border of Long Beach, which could release a toxic cloud if breached
- to end the choking diesel and bunker fuel emissions from port-related goods movement by pressuring the Federal government for more, faster support for electrification of trucks, port equipment, and docked ships
- to fight for the long-promised LA River greenbelt through Long Beach by actually going to work at getting grants and making the LA River Master Plan/Long Beach RiverLink Plan a reality
- to protect our wetlands and wildlife, especially our migratory birds paying a stop in Long Beach along the Pacific Flyway
- to eliminate toxic weed killers in our parks
- to create an urban forest plan and hire an urban forest manager
- to add more car charging infrastructure
- to emphasize LEED certification and cool roofs in building construction
- to add more mass transit opportunities for the public
Parking
There is no reason why we can’t demand permitted overnight parking for residents. Our entire district is severely parking impacted and needs special attention in this regard from city hall. We can work out arrangements with existing parking lots and incorporate apps to maximize use of existing spaces (rather than polluting the air circling searching for a spot).
People sheltering in their vehicles need to be directed to “safe parking program” areas where they can receive services and support. We can incorporate new apps to improve the efficient use of existing parking.