TITLE
Recommendation to increase appropriations in the Special Advertising and Promotion Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $2,500, offset by Second Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution to the Long Beach Blues Society for the 2021 Long Beach New Blues Festival;
Increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $5,730, offset by Second Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide contributions of:
$2,500 to Kahlo Creative LLC to support Long Beach International Tamales Festival 2021; $2,200 to the International City Theatre to support their 36th Anniversary Celebration; $500 to Long Beach Food and Beverage to support Long Beach Black Restaurant Week 2022; $250 to Partners of Parks for the Harvest Festival and Resource Fair on October 30, 2021; $280 to Pedal Movement to provide Bicycle Valet Services for Fourth Friday on Fourth Street on November 26th, 2021;
Decrease appropriations in the Special Advertising and Promotion Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $2,500 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department; and
Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $5,730 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach New Blues Festival is a regional draw with big-name blues artists and a beautiful setting at Long Beach’s Shoreline Aquatic Park.
The event webpage highlights the close proximity of the waterfront, and especially promotes the beautiful views from the park setting where it will be held.
Restarting regional awareness of Long Beach as a fun, waterfront, beautiful events destination will positively impact local jobs and residents over time. Supporting this regional attraction in Downtown is a valuable use of funds that will help promote the City of Long Beach by calling attention to its natural advantages, resources, enterprises, attractions, climate, and facilities. The New Blues Festival will be held on Saturday, November 13th.
The Long Beach Tamales Festival is a local event that will be hosted in Downtown Long Beach on December 5, 2021 to celebrate our local Hispanic community and their holiday traditions. The event will be open to the public and allow residents from across the City and region to come together in our downtown for a celebration of food, music, arts, and culture. This all-day event features tamales from different regions of Latin America, Latin inspired dishes, drinks, tequila tastings, live music, art workshops for kids, performances, best homemade tamales contest, shopping and more! The event will take place at the Scottish Rite Events Centre, 855 Elm Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813
The International City Theatre is a long-cherished arts institution in the City of Long Beach, and contributes to the vibrancy of our arts and culture in downtown and across the city. Bringing back attractions and events to Downtown Long Beach assists in activating our downtown core, supporting local hotels and restaurants, and stimulating a major engine of our local economy. Also, as our performing artists and arts organizations were hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated closures for the sake of public health, it is appropriate to support them and assist in their revitalization by supporting their 36th Anniversary Celebration.
Long Beach Black Restaurant Week, put on by the same organizers as the highly successful Long Beach Burger Week, will positively contribute to awareness and recognition of black entrepreneurs in food services across our city. This event will promote residents and visitors traveling across our city to try restaurants they may not have heard of. Additionally, the Black Restaurant Week organizers will advertise the restaurants by neighborhood, showcasing where our black restaurateurs have clustered, introducing participants to more of Long Beach’s vibrant and unique neighborhoods. This event strongly promotes economic development across the city, and it is therefore appropriate to sponsor it.
The 2021 Beach Wise Harvest Festival and Resource Fair was held on Saturday, October 30, at MacArthur Park and served residents of Central Long Beach. This community celebration included program elements for residents of all ages and many cultures. This community benefit event was a valuable attraction and resource fair for local residents, and sponsorship is an appropriate use of funds.
Bicycle Valet Services promote cycling and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and parking and traffic congestion. Sponsoring these services through Pedal Movement for the benefit of the Fourth Friday event on Fourth Street in Retro Row creates community benefit for local residents and businesses, and for visitors to the event.
This matter was reviewed by Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon on October 28, 2021.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation requests the City Manager to support various community events serving residents of the Second Council District. The total appropriation increase of $2,500 in the Special Events and Promotion Fund Group in the City Manager Department to support the Long Beach New Blues Festival will be offset by a decrease of appropriation of Second Council District One-time District Priority Funds in the Special Events and Promotion Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department. The total appropriation increase of $5,730 in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department to support various community events will be offset by a decrease of appropriation of Second Council District One-time District Priority Funds in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department. The requested action is anticipated to require a minimal level of staff hours beyond the budgeted scope of duties and is expected to have a minimal impact on existing City Council priorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
CINDY ALLEN
COUNCILWOMAN, SECOND DISTRICT