Where does the straw break the camel’s back when it comes to the Long Beach city budget? If $100,000 in funds are dispersed this Tuesday, then maybe one day, someone will point to the payment for consultants to provide a study on Long Beach Breakwater configurations.
Or maybe not. It will actually be $50,000 dollars out of Long Beach city coffers, since a $50,000 grant by the California Coastal Conservancy has been given to the City of Long Beach to study the breaking down of the Breakwater.
The original commitment from the City Council was voted on last July, at a time when the looming budget issues were not nearly as close to the horizon. God bless the Councilmember with the vision to look into the future when making decisions. If only there were more of them.
* Update * Thanks to some helpful information from Councilman Gary DeLong, I am informed that the $50,000 will only come if there is a $30,000 appropriations from the Federal Government. If we don’t get the appropriation, then we will have to spend $100,000 ourselves.
Also, the study would take a couple years to complete, at which time it would probably be outdated.
This is all for a study, that would be a first of its kind ever attempt to get the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Government… to just look at the project.
In my humble opinion, we as taxpayers don’t have the money to take this kind of gamble.
Green Businesses Rock!
Councilmembers O’Donnell, Schipske, Uranga and Gabelich have agendized an item that creates a Green Business Recognition Program, under the Sustainable City Commission, in order to encourage sustainability in building and business practices, and to foster partnerships and promote local businesses.
It sounds like a great program, but it is a sad thing that when I hear the word “green”, my mind now automatically thinks of half-hearted, bandwagon attempts to become Green.
Long Beach Museum of Art Given a Nudge
On the heels of last week’s audit, revealing that the Long Beach Museum of Art owes the City of Long Beach over 3 million dollars, City Auditor Laura Doud’s office is offering a little encouragement for the beleaguered museum.
After receiving and filing the audit, Doud is requesting that the City Manager work with the Museum’s Foundation to put together a written plan, with benchmarks, to repay the outstanding bonds.
With only 14 and a half months away until the bond payments bond due, the City Auditor’s office, and hopefully every taxpayer interested about where their money goes, is concerned that without a plan, these bonds won’t get paid off.
The City Council Meeting is on Tuesday, 5pm at City Hall.