In a closed session at 4:15pm today, the Long Beach City Council will hear an update and receive public comment concerning a lawsuit brought on by the Long Beach Police Department, alleging that officers should be paid while dressing and undressing for duty. The Council will also discuss the results of that session during their regular meeting, which begins at 5:00pm.
The case, known as Edwards v. Long Beach, is moving closer to trial on November 10. Several California cities have gone through similar cases recently, including Los Angeles. A judge decided in May that Los Angeles should pay officers for doffing and donning their uniforms and equipment. No dollar amount has surfaced yet, and there is currently no dollar amount listed in the Long Beach case, either.
In the regular meeting, the Council will officially vote on whether or not to approve the Fiscal Year 2010 budget. They will also hear a motion to create a fund that would put money away in what is known as a “Rainy Day Fund” for the future in times of excess profit. The leftover money could be used in emergencies.
A recent addition to the agenda is a proposal to institute Instant Run-Off Voting (IRV) for next April’s citywide elections. The IRV process asks voters to rank their choices in order, rather than simply choosing one candidate. This way, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those who chose that candidate as their #1 will have their #2 votes counted. That explanation may be quite confusing, so I will point you to this darling Powerpoint presentation which uses Muppets (yes, Muppets) to demonstrate the system. SPOILER ALERT: Ernie wins the election, which may not say much for the IRV process. I mean, seriously? Ernie? Where are all the Kermit supporters? Get out and vote, people!