July 31, 2020 | Vol. XLII No. 32

Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday

VOL. XLII NO. 32

Your Weekly Community Newspaper

www.signaltribune.com

July 31, 2020

Wanted: Cannabis Consultant

In this issue CULTURE

Signal Hill solicits study to know if cannabis businesses are right for the city after a 4-1 vote.

Anita W. Harris

Citizen Police Complaint Commission catches up on 4 years of annual reports Page 2

NEWS

Staff Writer

Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune

Miguel Perez, owner of MeeMa’s restaurant stands inside his recently opened establishment that is dedicated to serving breakfast comfort food that encompasses a grandmother’s love.

MeeMa’s encompasses a ‘grandmother’s love’ through their food Lissette Mendoza Managing Editor

Low-income students face challenges with online learning Page 3

ONLINE

Nestled on Atlantic Avenue, in the heart of Bixby Knolls, you will find MeeMa’s a family-owned and operated restaurant serving up breakfast comfort food which has recently

opened amidst the COVID pandemic.

Owner Miguel Perez and Executive Chef Hugo Sanchez collaborated on the menu which features classic, Mexican breakfast items such as the chilaquiles inspired by Perez’s grandmother’s recipe, chorizo bean

see COMFORT page 4

Long Beach leaders protest LBUSD Board’s bypassing of sole Latino member as president

LBUSD’s equity commitment is questioned as their traditional board rotation schedule, which would have Benitez serve as president, was bypassed.

Anita W. Harris Senior Writer

Long Beach Islamic Center to host socially distanced Eid prayers

breakfast burritos and churro french toast. American staple dishes like steak and eggs and fried chicken sandwiches are also offered along with modern twists on traditional breakfast meals like their lemon & blue-

In a letter to the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education dated July 23, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia along with several city councilmembers, parents and state officials, educators and community activists, demanded a formal response as to why Dr. Juan Benitez– the only Latino board member– was passed over to serve as board president.

“It is important our Latinx community has strong representation and a voice in setting policy that affects our students, many of whom are Latinx,” the letter states. Hispanic students comprise 57% of LBUSD’s 72,000 students, or about 41,000 pupils, according to its website.

During its July 20 meeting, the board voted for Diana Craighead– a white woman representing District

5– as board president for the 2020-2021 school year instead of Benitez, who represents District 3.

The protest letter states that Benitez has been serving as board vice-president and would therefore have been next up to serve as president, per the board’s traditional rotation schedule.

Craighead told the Signal Tribune in a July 27 email that it would not be appropriate for her to comment on the situation until the board’s response has been submitted. She did not immediately say when that might be.

The letter further describes Benitez as a Cal State Long Beach scholar, historian and leader on racial equity and justice issues.

“During his tenure on the Board of Education, he has lifted the voices and experiences of students of see LBUSD page 7

Signal Hill is taking its next careful step toward potentially allowing marijuana businesses to operate in the city– or not.

The city currently bans all types of cannabis-related businesses, including medicinal and recreational dispensaries, research and testing labs, product manufacturing, and indoor commercial cultivation.

During a July 21 meeting, the Signal Hill City Council approved issuing a request-for-proposals (RFP) for a consultant to assess the impacts to the city if it were to allow such businesses.

The main reason residents cited for their support was to increase and diversify the city’s revenue. Signal Hill currently depends on sales tax for about 70% of its revenue, making it vulnerable to economic downturns such as those caused

by COVID-19.

The council had decided at its May 28 budget workshop– amid discussing reduced revenue projections and cutting expenses– to allot $40,000 for such a consultant, City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn said.

The RFP indicates that the consultant hired will provide a detailed study assessing market demand, infrastructure requirements and environmental and see CANNABIS page 5

2

NEWS

Signal Tribune

July 31, 2020

Citizen Police Complaint Commission catches up on 4 years of annual reports The commission hasn’t filed an annual report since 2015.

Emma DiMaggio Production Associate

Once a month, the Citizen Police Complaint Commission meets in the Civic Chambers to review complaints filed against Long Beach police officers.

The CPCC was formed via ballot measure in 1990 as an attempt to create an independent investigating body for police complaints.

In 1989, a year before the commission was created, a black man named Don Jackson was beaten and thrown through a plate glass window by Long Beach police officers. Ironically, Jackson was an off-duty Hawthorne police officer. Councilmember Al Austin said that this incident prompted the creation of the CPCC. “Here we are, 30 years later.

It’s time for us to look at ways that the CPCC can be updated and improve accountability, transparency, confidence in the relationship between the community and our police department,” Austin said at the June 9 council meeting.

The commission is made up of 11 members, nine of which are chosen by city councilmembers and two of which are at-large commissioners.

“The CPCC is neither an advocate for the complainant nor for the police personnel,” the city’s website states. The group has the authority to “administer and investigate, through an independent investigation, allegations of police misconduct with an emphasis on excessive force, false

arrest and complaints with racial or sexual overtones.”

According to the CPCC bylaws, the commission’s activities must be presented to the mayor and City Council annually.

Despite this mandate, the CPCC hasn’t released an annual report since 2015.

Now, in the wake of increased scrutiny and at the request of the city council, the CPCC is catching up with four years worth of annual reports.

At the June 9 city council meeting, both councilmembers Dee Andrews and Suzie Price mentioned that they had never received a CPCC briefing.

“This commission cannot continue to be a box to check while reviewing complaints,” Andrews said. “If we are being completely honest, I have never heard from a single commissioner or this commission more than once. I have never had a briefing from them like other commissions made it a point to do so.”

According to CPCC manager Patrick Weithers, the lack of reports is due to a shortage of personnel.

“Over the past two years, we haven’t had a lot of staffing,” Weithers said. “There was even one point where, before I took this current role, when I was still an investigator with the CPCC, I was literally the only investigator for quite a few months.”

From 2014 to 2015, the CPCC budget increased by $44,636.

The next year, it increased by $131,090, then steadied around an average annual budget of

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The Citizen Police Complaint Commission hasn’t filed an annual report since 2015. Their team is currently catching up with those annual reports, which will include the commission’s complaint recommendations, meetings dates and attendance records.

$381,935 from 2016 to 2019.

Increased funding doesn’t necessarily lead to an increase of time to form the annual report, given fluctuating complaint numbers and a steady backlog of complaints from the previous year.

This past year, their 2020 funding was cut $50,849. The commission currently has one part-time and one full-time investigator, but Weithers himself investigates cases as well to help get cases briefed faster.

Approximate annual reports created using CPCC agendas Though their discussions are private, their commission’s findings are public record. According to Weithers, the annual reports for 2016 to 2019 won’t be published for several weeks.

The Signal Tribune reviewed three years worth of CPCC agendas and turned those findings into annual reports. Reports from 2016 have been excluded because the data was not formatted for analysis.

Upon asking for confirmation of the values in the reports, Weithers said that he could not confirm the values since their reports have not been finalized. However, he did say that all the values were within 10 points of the accurate values. Therefore, all values below are approximations.

2017 In 2017, the CPCC reviewed 235 cases, 144 of which were dismissed. The cases contained 389 allegations.

The most common allegations were unbecoming conduct (122), use of force (73), failure to take action (35), dishonesty (18), failure to take report (16), failure to care for property (15), failure to investigate (15), harassment (14) and profanity (14).

2018 In 2018, the CPCC reviewed 167 cases. 97 of which were dismissed. The cases contained 255 allegations total.

The most common allegations

2019 In 2019, the CPCC reviewed 207 cases, 130 of which were dismissed. The cases contained 346 allegations in total.

The most common allegations were unbecoming conduct (136), use of force (62), improper arrest (18), bias-based policing (16), failure to investigate (15), failure to take action (12) and improper search (12).

Cases are marked “No Further Action” for a variety of reasons In many cases, dismissals of “no further action” don’t simply mean the commission is sweeping an allegation under the rug.

According to Weithers, there are a variety of reasons a case gets dismissed. These could include any of the following: • The complaint was for an ofsee COMMISSION page 6

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were unbecoming conduct (96), use of force (40), bias-based policing (21) and failure to take action (12).

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COMMENTARY

July 31, 2020

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Low-income students face challenges with online learning Submitted by Stephanie Gomez, Angel Garcia, Andy Garcia, Jon De Santiago Master of Social Work candidates at California State University, Long Beach

C

hildren and families in low socio-economic regions are experiencing severe challenges due to the pandemic.

Such as food shortages and lack of employment opportunities.

Families are struggling to allocate funds to secure educational materials and equipment to achieve in virtual academia. Lockdowns and shelter in place measures come with heightened risk of children witnessing or suffering violence and abuse in their home. With children now being home, families are struggling to meet food and day-care demands.

Stay at home orders caused confusion amongst children that do not understand the current pandemic and its impacts. Children feel that they do not have any control in decision making in regard to their

academics, graduation ceremonies, or extra-curricular activities.

Students are restricted from face to face interactions with teachers and their peers which impacts their mental health and overall expected development. The transition to virtual learning created a gap between parent involvement and academics due to the lack of knowledge in modern technology. Impoverished communities have had a hard time being able to access instructional materials and technology equipment for their students. School districts have had a hard time being able to allocate proper services and resources to continue virtual schooling for their students.

Students have been impacted with transitioning from in person instruction to online schooling.

Students in this category may further regress if they don’t have

access to resources, including WIFI, laptops, or even a private space to focus at home. Students are likely to lack motivation due to not having resources to complete class assignments and homework assignments. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge academic performance and creates uncertainty for students. Community outreach is important so that children are not disengaged from health, welfare, and education services that could affect their development and overall well-being.

3

Signal Tribune

From Our Online Readers: Letters, Emails, Comments and Statements

In response to ‘Former employees pen open letter alleging a history of hostile workplace behavior at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach’

“

Would appreciate reading what is transpiring; an open letter tends to lean towards NO ONE is listening! Accountability and transparency for all to understand, especially the managing of LGBTQ! When alienation is involved within the organization, it must be settled in full agreement with all parties. We all should be aware in order for all to understand, being involved in the community for awareness and guidance!

– Shirley Steele

In response to ‘LBPD Chief Robert Luna added to defendants in alleged racial profiling case on Metro Blue Line’

“

”

It’s of no surprise that Robert Garcia is pictured with the cowardly chief that failed to provide ample law enforcement for the protests that occurred on May 31st resulting in millions of dollars of damages and stolen goods. The incidents were caught on live news broadcast and showed looters literally running from businesses while LBPD officers stood just watching.

These men are cowards and failures in providing strong leadership.

– Larry Diaz

”

In response to ‘Long Beach leaders protest LBUSD Board’s bypassing of sole Latino member as president’

“ Want to submit a letter to the editor?

57% of the students are from a Latino background, yet there is only 1 Latino on this board.

Yes, this action is a concern, however, what are these leaders doing to increase Latino representation on this and other governing boards?

”

Send us an email at Newspaper@SignalTribune.com Tell us what you think about local government, schools, business, COVID-19 and more. We’re always happy to hear from the community.

Letter requirements are listed below.

– @ricardolinarez via Instagram In response to ‘Wanted: Cannabis Consultant’

“

Seems pretty clear to me. Only one member can’t see the forest for the trees.

”

– Rick Kott via Facebook

MANAGING EDITOR

Lissette Mendoza

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Daniel Green

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE

Emma DiMaggio

LEGALS COORDINATOR

Katherine Green

COLUMNISTS

Claudine Burnett Blair Cohn

DIGITAL EDITOR

Karla Enriquez

STAFF WRITERS

Anita W. Harris Kristen Farrah Naeem

The Signal Tribune welcomes letters to the editor, which should be signed, dated and include a phone number to verify authenticity. Letters are due by noon on the Wednesday before desired publication date.

The Signal Tribune reserves the right to edit ­letters for grammar, language and space requirements. Letters must be 500 words or fewer. The Signal Tribune will publish no more than one “pro” letter and one “con” letter on a particular topic in a single issue. The Signal ­Tribune does not print letters that refer substantially to articles in other publications and might not print those that have recently been printed in other ­publications or otherwise presented in a public forum. Letters to the editor and commentaries are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Signal Tribune or its staff. Although the editorial staff will attempt to verify and/or correct ­information when possible, letters to the editor and commentaries are opinions, and readers should not assume that they are statements of fact. Letter-writers will be identified by their professional titles or affiliations when, and only when, the editorial staff deems it relevant and/or to provide context to the letter. We do not run letters to the editor submitted by individuals who have declared their candidacies for public office in upcoming races. This policy was put in place because, to be fair, if we publish one, we would have to publish all letters submitted by all candidates. The volume would no doubt eliminate space for letters submitted by other readers. Instead, we agree to interview candidates and print stories about political races in an objective manner and offer very reasonable advertising rates for those candidates who wish to purchase ads. The Signal Tribune is published each Friday with a circulation of 30,000. Yearly subscriptions are available for $50.

1399 E. 28th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 595-7900 www.signaltribune.com newspaper@signaltribune.com

4

Signal Tribune

COMMUNITY

July 31, 2020

Comfort continued from page 1

Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune

MeeMa’s Classic Breakfast Burrito has a hearty filling of farm fresh eggs, bacon, potato tots, cheddar cheese and homemade pico de gallo salsa verde wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available.

berry ricotta pancakes.

MeeMa’s, an endearing term that encompasses a grandmother, was originally planned to open in May, however the date was pushed back to July due to COVID. A step inside their establishment is like taking a step into a grandmother’s breakfast nook. Pastel walls are decorated with vintage photos and other momentos, influenced by the grandmothers in Perez’s life.

Two portraits show the inspiration of MeeMa’s, featuring Perez’s own Mexican grandmother, Maria Ibarra, and Eva Koehler, the Irish-German grandmother of his wife Jennifer Perez, giving the location a very “homey” feel.

Although his own grandmother, Maria, didn’t speak English and his wife’s grandmother, Eva, didn’t speak Spanish, there was still that same universal “grandmother’s love” from both, that he wanted to emanate through MeeMa’s meals.

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“They find comfort in us finding comfort in their food,” Perez said in reference to grandmothers.

How MeeMa’s came to be Perez comes experienced with a 20+ year background working in the hospitality business, a facet of that was specifically in the nightlife industry, bartending at locations on Second Street such as Panama Joe’s and even managing Legends Restaurant and Sports Bar. His work as a bartender made him realize that although he enjoyed serving people, he wanted to go towards a different crowd.

“I still love serving, I love serving people, I just didn’t want to serve in the nightclub aspect anymore, I wanted to just do a whole different aspect of it,” Perez said.

Add in the fact that breakfast was his favorite, and the idea for MeeMa’s began.

Growing up, Perez’s parents were constantly working, so his grandmother Maria had a significant presence in his life. He reminisced on how her cooking up breakfast on the weekends were some of the moments he felt the most love in his life.

“That’s what I’m trying to portray at the restaurant,” Perez said.

He felt a very similar love from Eva, his wife’s grandmother, whom they had moved in with for a period of time to help provide care, rather than place her in a nursing home, when she was older.

He then began noticing the similarities between the grandmothers.

“It was in the decorating and the way they kept the home and the way they dressed, it was all very similar,” Perez said. “It wasn’t so much a cultural similarity, more of a generational similarity”.

“That’s what I wanted to capture in the restaurant. There’s a lot of universalities with that particular generation, that grandma,” said Perez.

Although both grandmothers passed days apart from each other in 2016, their grandmother’s love still lives on through MeeMa’s food.

MeeMa’s is located at 4276 Atlantic Ave. and is open from Tuesday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. To place an order for take-out/pick up and to-go orders call (562) 426-2626.

MeeMa’s offers limited outdoor dining with proper social distancing between each guest.

Follow them on Instagram @ meemas_4276 and visit them online at meemas.net.

COMMUNITY

July 31, 2020

Signal Tribune

5

Cannabis continued from page 1

Photos courtesy of Signal Hill

Results from a January 2020 survey of Signal hill residents indicating that increasing revenue is the main reason why 50% of residents support marijuana businesses in the city.

community impacts for each type of marijuana business, Shin-Heydorn said.

The study should further provide five-year revenue and expense projections for each type of business, including tax revenue, permit- and license-fee revenue and administrative and law-enforcement expenses, she added.

It should also discuss impacts to crime, property values, traffic and parking, jobs, economic development and Signal Hill’s youth.

Proposals are due by Aug. 24 and staff will evaluate and make recommendations for council approval by Oct. 13, Shin-Heydorn said, adding that she estimates the study would be completed in about three months after that.

The council would therefore receive the study in early 2021.

City Clerk Carmen Brooks commented that since the cannabis business is dynamic, the study’s data may be dated by then. Brooks had previously expressed support for allowing marijuana dispensaries within the city for health purposes.

While most council members also voiced support for seeing concrete data to make an informed decision, Vice Mayor Tina Hansen expressed disapproval, noting she had also disapproved of budgeting for a consultant. She said that though

surveyed residents supported the idea, they favored other types of businesses than those for which the council expressed interest.

Hansen also said Signal Hill residents had previously voted against cannabis businesses.

However, Councilmember Edward Wilson– who has said he works for a cannabis business in Long Beach– clarified that residents in fact voted on whether the city should tax marijuana businesses when they did not even exist in the city. Measure F taxing medical-marijuana dispensaries in Signal Hill had failed in 2017.

Wilson added that Signal Hill residents joined the rest of the state in supporting Proposition 64 to legalize recreational mar-

Results from a January 2020 survey of Signal hill residents showing the main reasons why 31% of residents would not support allowing marijuana businesses in the city.

ijuana. 64% of Signal Hill residents had voted in favor of the 2016 law.

“By the way, frankly, we don’t do this with any other business in the city,” Wilson said. “We never do that type of analysis.”

Councilmember Lori Woods said that she opposes allowing cannabis businesses in the city like Hansen, but wants to see the financial analysis to know whether the facts prove her wrong or support her opposition.

One member of the public– resident Randy Hartshorn– commented that marijuana businesses should be allowed only if they improve the overall quality of life in Signal Hill and fit the beliefs of its residents.

“The final decision, in my view, will be guided by the core values of our community,” Hartshorn said, noting that those values are not well known or prominently posted in city hall or on the City’s website. Mayor Robert Copeland offered that the values are apparent in the city’s strategic plan.

Hartshorn also asked that other costs be considered, such as adolescent addiction and the cost of eradicating the black market for marijuana. ​ Hartshorn suggested analyzing comparable cities that have allowed cannabis businesses, which Shin-Heydorn said was already included in the proposal request that Hartshorn and others

in the community had helped formulate.

Wilson motioned to approve issuing the RFP and Councilmember Keir Jones seconded it.

The council approved the recommendation in a 4-1 vote, with Hansen the only dissenter.

“We’ve had a really measured and careful approach,” Jones said. “We haven’t jumped onto the cannabis bandwagon as a city because we wanted to see what’s going on around us. We wanted to see how healthy– financially– the industry is, and we wanted to make sure we understood the impacts in order to make a decision at all– one way or the other.”

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Signal Tribune

PUBLIC NOTICES/NEWS

EYE ON CRIME CRIMES REPORTED BY THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT

Notice of : Affidavit Religion Declaration of Acknowledgment ; Judicial Notice and Proclamation of Nationality ; Affidavit of Allodial Permit ; Notice of Autochthonous Status ; Scientific Dissenting Opinion in Support of Solomon Diablo Morris RaMa’Ahtum Davis El’s Status Correction ; Notice of Surety Act & Bond No. 7015 3430 0000 3547 8736 ; Notice of Surety Act & Bond No. 7015 3430 0000 3547 874 ; Notice of Public Record Status Correction ; Lawful Notice: Appellation, Declaration, Correction, Proclamation, and Publication ; instrument # 2020044653 ; Pulaski County Real Estate Records 401 W. Markham Room # 102 Little Rock, AR 72201

Thursday, July 23 10:46am, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1900 block Temple Ave. 10:53am, Grand theft, 2400 block Gundry Ave. 11:52am, Petty theft, 700 block E. Spring St. (citation issued) 8:23pm, Person with a knife, 3000 block California Ave. 9:17pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 1900 block Temple Ave. Friday, July 24 7:42am, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2500 block Temple Ave. Saturday, July 25 2:41am, Inflict corporal injury on spouse/cohabitant, 2000 block Raymond Ave. (suspect arrested) 6:03pm, Burglary, 1800 block Gladys Ave. 6:58pm, Robbery, 2400 block Cherry Ave. (suspect arrested) Sunday, July 26 1:56am, Spousal abuse, 2700 block E. PCH Monday, July 27 12:51am, Vehicle tampering; contributing to the delinquency of a minor; possessing burglary tools; grand theft, 2400 block Brayton Ave. (suspect arrested) 8:55am, Auto burglary, 3300 block E. Hill St. 6:57pm, Identity theft, 2300 block Cerritos Ave. 7:07pm, Identity theft, 3300 block Myrtle Ave.

Office Line: 501-340-8433 All Rights Reserved

TST6283 Notice of Public Lien Sale Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of the California Self-Storage Facility Act Code, Section #21700, the undersigned will be sold by public auction at: Storco Self Storage, 3050 Orange Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807, County of Los Angeles, and State of California. Auction date of: August 18th, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Terms of sale: Cash sale, all sales are final and purchased at buyers own risk. No guarantees or warranty of any sale are promised by seller. Storco Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid or cancel auction. Facility owner or its representatives has the right to bid on any and all units or stop sale at any time.

Name of auctioneer: KE Auction Services. The following units are scheduled for sale: Unit # & Customer Name: Unit # A058/Margie Hoglund- Unit # B099/Shuntio Evans- C271/Managers Unit- Unit(s) contents may include but are not limited to: Electronics, furniture, appliances, garage items, toys, clothing, sporting goods, tools, automotive and miscellaneous household goods,

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TST6285 / 2020 108696 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: WESTSIDE TRUCK AND AUTO SUPPLY, 1442 Caspian Ave., Long Beach, CA 90813. Registrant: GHT SUPPLY CORPORATION, 1442 Caspian Ave., Long Beach, CA 90813. This business is conducted by: a Corporation. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Jeffrey Transue, CFO. The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in June, 2020.

This statement was filed with the county clerk of Los Angeles County on July 20, 2020.

NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Pub. The Signal Tribune: July 31 & August 7, 14, 21, 2020.

TST6286 / 2020 108693 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as: BLACKBOARD CONSULTING & ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS, 4802 Boyar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. Registrant: MASTERMIND CAPITAL VENTURES, LLC, 4802 Boyar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807. This business is conducted by: a Limited Liability Company. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: Franseca A. Kitajima, President.

The registrant has begun to use this fictitious business name. The registrant began using this fictitious business name in May, 2020.

This statement was filed with the county clerk

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL

Tuesday, July 28 3:33pm, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2700 block Cherry Ave. 7:38pm, Fire, 2200 block Obispo Ave. Wednesday, July 29 4:49am, DUI; driving with license suspended/revoked, Cherry Ave./E. Willow St. (citation issued) 8:17am, Grand theft – motor vehicle, 2200 block Ohio ave.

7:20pm, Petty theft, 700 block E. Spring St. (citation issued) 10:26pm, Possessing substance similar to Toluene, driving without license, Cherry Ave./E. Wardlow Rd. (citation issued)

unless otherwise stated. Publish Dates: 07/30/2020 & 08/06/2020.

TST6284 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND CEQA CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, the City Council of the City of Signal Hill, California, will conduct a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. via teleconference, to consider the following: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 19-02 A REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT AN 83’ TALL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY MONOPALM AT 1320 E. HILL STREET IN THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (LI) ZONING DISTRICT Applicant: Dayna Aguirre, agent of Sequoia Deployment Services, Inc. (on behalf of Verizon Wireless) Property Owner: VIG ENTERPRISES LLC Recommendation: The Planning Commission has recommended approval.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS are hereby invited to participate in this public hearing to present written information, express their opinions, or otherwise present evidence on the above matter.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER N-2920 to “stay at home” to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, you are encouraged to participate and provide comments during the public hearing in one of the following ways: • • •

You may participate via teleconference by calling (408) 638-0968 on the date and time of the meeting using the meeting number 897-43366239 and password 346550; You may participate via Zoom.us. To join the meeting via Zoom, enter the following meeting number: 897-4336-6239 and password 346550 or You may submit comments prior to the meeting date by email to ragbayani@cityofsignalhill.org, or by mail to the attention of Ryan Agbayani, 2175 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, CA 90755. If received prior to publication of the agenda (on or before August 6, 2020), staff will incorporate the comments into the staff report. If received after the publish date, staff will read the comments into the public record at the public hearing. You are encouraged to provide written comments in advance of the publication of the agenda, as well as participating during the meeting, to ensure that the City Council has ample time to consider your comments.

IF YOU WISH TO LEGALLY challenge any action taken by the City on the above matter, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City prior to or at the public hearing.

THIS PROJECT IS CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Article 19, Section 15332 Class 32 for In-Fill Development Projects, of the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, in that the site is currently developed as a private rental facility with storage area that is surrounded by urban infrastructure improvements (e.g. roads, water, sanitation, etc.).

CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS are reviewed by the Planning Commission and approved by the City Council at a public hearing.

FURTHER INFORMATION on this item may be obtained from the Community Development Department by calling Ryan Agbayani, Assistant Planner, at (562) 989-7341, or by emailing ragbayani@cityofsignalhill.org.

Contact us for your digital advertising needs! advertising@signaltribune.com

Published in the Signal Tribune newspaper on: Posted in accordance with S.H.M.C. Section 1.08.010 on: Mailed to property owners within a 300’ radius on:

July 31, 2020 July 31, 2020 July 31, 2020

July 31, 2020 of Los Angeles County on July 20, 2020.

NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed prior to that date. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

Pub. The Signal Tribune: July 31 & August 7, 14, 21, 2020.

Commission continued from page 2

ficer that’s not a member of the LBPD • Complainant withdraws complaint • Person who submitted the complaint doesn’t respond to phone calls or emails, so there’s no way for investigators to look into the case • Lack of evidence for case • Complainant got location mixed up, such as submitting a complaint for an officer in Long Beach, New York rather than Long Beach, California Even when there’s a lack of evidence, the investigating team will still look into the case to confirm details about the place and time of the incident.

“We basically try to look for any information we can around what they wrote to us,” Weithers said. “Sometimes people send a complaint that may be one or two sentences long, so it’s kind of tough to go off that.

Police officer records protected from the commission due to privacy laws The commission reviews hundreds of complaints each year. They’re presented with evidence from investigators and deliberate behind closed doors in accordance with Section 832.7 of the California Penal Code, which guarantees confidentiality of police personnel records.

Due to the privacy of police personnel files, commissioners are limited in what information they can receive for their deliberations. While they do receive body-worn camera video and police reports, they can’t look at an officer’s overall personnel file.

In the death of George Floyd, reports revealed that the officer who killed him had 17 complaints on his file.

If that officer’s case came to the CPCC, commissioners wouldn’t be able to use the officers past to inform their decision-making.

“That’s something that’s definitely come up and something we want to get to them, but unfortunately at the moment, they can’t see see COMMISSION page 7

NEWS

July 31, 2020

Commission

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into it, studying these cases,�

Austin said to the council. “Their agendas oftentimes resemble ours in the volume of reading that goes into these cases that come before the CPCC. Their meeting packets are thick.�

Due to the nature of the data, there’s no way to tell which officers correspond with each case.

In addition, there’s no way of knowing the outcomes of individual cases. “I guess throughout the history of the CPCC, especially since I’ve been here, I know this is just the way things have been done,� Weithers said.

He said he wished there was a way to see the outcomes of particular cases, but acknowledged that it would mean that people may be able to correlate complaint outcomes with specific officers.

Potential revisions to the commission would have to be voted on via ballot measure On their June 9 meeting, city councilmembers requested City Manager Tom Modica come back to the council within 30 days with a full report on the CPCC, including a summary of investigations over the past five years.

The item, proposed by city councilmembers Al Austin, Suzie Price, Dee Andrews and Rex Richardson, also requested recommendations for possible revisions to improve accountability and transparency in the relationship between the police department and the community.

As of today, no report has been filed, but the council expressed leniency given that the department is short-staffed.

All revisions to the CPCC would require a ballot measure.

Since it’s too late to file a measure for the upcoming November election, any revision would likely occur during the next scheduled election.

color and low-income parents,� the letter states. “Passing over Dr. Benitez is unacceptable and disrespectful, not only to a sitting elected member, but to the entire Latinx community.�

The letter also contends that COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in Long Beach’s education infrastructure that especially cause challenges for Latinx students due to the digital divide, economic crisis, immigration statuses and housing and food insecurities. “We can’t stand by as you marginalize Dr. Benitez and silence Latinx voices in our Long Beach community,� the letter asserts.

Two of the letter’s signers– Eduardo Lara, a sociology lecturer at Cal State Long Beach, and Cesar Armendariz, a Long Beach community activist– sent an addendum letter dated July 22 to Craighead and other board members further questioning its decision, especially in light of the board adopting an Equity Policy just before its reorganization. “At a time when both the Board and District need to be building bridges with community, including Black-Latinx solidarity, how is failing to elect Dr. Benitez as president equity?� Lara and Armendariz ask.

They contend that the board retaliated against Benitez for actively engaging students and parents and giving them a “platform to voice their grievances with the district� in a July 8 virtual Long Beach Schools Community Forum on dismantling institutional racism attended by over 600 participants. “What emerged from the forum were multiple testimonies on how the district is failing to equitably educate Black children,� Lara and Armendariz say. “[Benitez] is doing his job as an elected official– meeting with stakeholders and bringing them into the fold in meaningful ways to help guide key

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LBUSD reorganization Following the vote to adopt a new Equity Policy, the board conducted its annual reorganization, beginning with choosing a new president to replace Dr. Felton Williams, the only Black board member, who is retiring later this year.

District 1 representative and incoming vice-president Megan Kerr nominated Benitez, who had been serving as vice president, saying his skillset would facilitate partnering with the community in new ways. “Dr. Benitez’s experience speaks directly to that work,� Kerr said.

Kerr also said she admires that the board doesn’t allow “personal issues� to interfere with focusing on students and families, especially during and after the current COVID-19 pandemic. “I firmly believe that we can do these hard things when we work together as a governance team,� she said. “I hope Dr. Benitez commits to do doing this work in cooperation with the board to fully sup-

port our new superintendent [Jill Baker] and executive staff [‌] and believe he deserves a chance to do that.�

However, no other board member seconded Kerr’s motion so Benitez’s nomination could not be put to a vote.

District 4 board-member Jon Meyer subsequently nominated Craighead, saying she has the most board experience following his and William’s retirement in December.

Craighead has served on the board for eight years, since 2012. “I think she is well positioned to be our board president during this next challenging year,� Meyer said.

Meyer’s motion was seconded

by Williams. Benitez then nominated Kerr, also for her experience, but the motion failed without a second. Kerr has served for six years.

Craighead accepted her nomination and the board unanimously approved her as president. It then approved Kerr as vice president, following her nomination by Williams, with a second by Benitez.

Kerr later told the Signal Tribune that she stands by reactions she posted on her Facebook page the night of the July 20 meeting, in which she expresses regret that her motion for Benitez was not seconded. “I am deeply disappointed my colleagues did not support his nomination and leadership,� Kerr said. “I believe we must show our commitment to equity with our actions, not just our words. We have a lot of work to do.�

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decisions on how best to educate students.�

Black children account for 12% of the student population, or about 8,600 students, according to LBUSD’s website.

After hearing extensive commentary during its July 20 meeting in support of doing more to support Black students, the board voted unanimously to adopt an Equity Policy, allowing it to create an equity-leadership team to guide future policies and practices.

Benitez commented after the vote that the policy would help dismantle institutional racism through concrete budgeting. “Equity is not just a word that we use or a mantra that we share,�

Benitez said. “We take action through policies, through initiatives, through practices.�

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officer history,� Weithers said. “I would love for them to have access to do that.�

Weithers agreed that having personnel files available might make a difference in some of the commission’s decisions.

However, decisions about making police personnel files public would have to come down from the state level.

Commissioners are also prevented from obtaining compelled statements from police officers. Though they’re not allowed to access these statements, the city manager looks at compelled statements and internal affairs investigations to come up with his final finding.

Since the city manager decides the final outcome of a police complaint, whether that’s exoneration or additional training, many have questioned the true authority of the CPCC. At a Black Lives Matter protest on June 5, CPCC commissioner Porter Gilberg called out the commission as a “farce.�

In his speech, reproduced by FORTHE, Gilberg critiqued the commission’s lack of authority and lack of access to evidence. “Commissioners do not have access to all the evidence in an investigation. Evidence is, in fact, withheld from us that would allow us to make a more informed decision,� Gilberg said. “Because we do not have access to all the evidence, we don’t even know what we’re not seeing. This evidence we do not have access to is often cited by the city manager as reasons for overturning our recommendations to uphold allegations of misconduct.�

Though the CPCC investigates and makes recommendations on cases, their decisions must be validated by the city manager.

According to their website, the commission’s findings can result in the accused personnel being disciplined, trained or exonerated, but they cannot recommend discipline or penalties. “As a former commissioner myself, I know how much work goes into reviewing these cases, how many late nights people put

Signal Tribune

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For more details on service dates and times, contact (562) 961-9301.

Pet of the week: Sheba The Queen of Sheba, according to the legend, bore a treasure trove of gifts for the one wise enough to answer her questions. Our Sheba, a majestic 3-year-old brown tabby, is equally gifted and will bestow hers on the person wise enough to take her home forever. Sheba is aptly named, as she is truly a queen—a gentle, kind and loving one. She possesses all the traits you’d want in royalty and deserves only the best. Because the shelter is closed to the public, adoption appointments are conducted through email, so contact AnimalRescue@longbeach. gov to meet Sheba. Ask for ID#A644509.

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8

Signal Tribune

July 31, 2020

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