Good morning and welcome to Monday Morning Coffee! Grab your cup and let’s get to your weekly briefing of what’s on the agenda for local government and business leaders. Get this in your inbox every Monday by signing up at lbpost.com/newsletters.

City meetings

In lieu of a City Council meeting, there are a few important meetings this week we think folks in Long Beach should give their attention. 

On Tuesday at 5 p.m., the Cultural Heritage Commission will review plans for the conversion of historic Fire Station 9 into a Filipino bakery. 

The $750,000 purchase of the station in Los Cerritos will see the station — closed in 2019 following reports of recurring mold — made into a bakery and restaurant under the wing of Tolentino Properties, LLC, which owns Gemmae Bake Shop (1356 W. Willow St.). 

But construction requires the commission’s consideration since the building’s exterior has been designated as a historical landmark. As part of the proposal, the exterior will be preserved, the inside will be partly preserved and a plaque will be installed outside for historical context.  

Elsewhere: Following a review of critical incidents in 2024, the Long Beach Office of Police Oversight on Thursday will recommend departmental changes they hope will protect or better assist families of those killed or injured by police. 

The six recommendations are included in the office’s annual review, in which they detail eight critical incidents between April 17 and December 26, 2024, seven of which were officer-involved shootings and one in-custody death. 

Recommendations include the creation of a family liaison officer — to act as an intermediary for families of the hurt or killed — as well as free or low-cost counseling to those who witness a traumatic event. The office also recommends the department make a practice of documenting the condition of handcuffs “whenever force is used.”

Some recommendations were also tied to the office’s review of complaint investigations, which they reported to be “slow or chronically delayed.”

The department takes an average 10 months to notify people of its findings of complaint investigations, the report found. “Often, community members were under the incorrect impression the investigation had been conducted and closed months prior,” the report continued. 

And at their 1:30 p.m. Wednesday meeting, the city’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Transactions and Use Tax will hear a presentation that includes updates on Long Beach Measure A sales tax bonds. 

Elsewhere in the area, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday at 9 a.m. will have a public hearing session during which they will hear initiatives on homelessness funding, the L.A. wildfires and the financial status of the county’s health department. 

Also on Tuesday, the Signal Hill City Council will hear a presentation on a proposed 15% hike in local water rates in the 2025-26 fiscal year, among other items.

Business events and information

  • It’s been nearly 29 years since the final episode of Captain Planet and the Planeteers aired. That means being a champion for the Earth rests on your shoulders. Join the city of Long Beach on Saturday, March 29 for the Save the Planet, Be the Hero celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Admiral Kidd Park. There will be interactive games, educational booths and giveaways for the family, as well as hands-on activities that focus on sustainability and climate action. Those interested can register here. For more information, click here.
  • Are you good at trivia? Trick question; no one is good at trivia. But you can still attend trivia night at Trademark Brewing (233 E. Anaheim St.), organized by the Long Beach Young Professionals. The two-hour event starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, and is welcome to anyone with an inkling for networking and fun facts. Tickets are $15 for members; $35 for non-members. For more information, click here.

ICYMI — California and national news

  • AI could take your next drive-through order. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands and Nvidia’s partnership explained (L.A. Times)
  • Toxic fumigant methyl bromide is being used at more facilities near these communities, officials reveal (CalMatters)
  • Why California spent $13 million on controversial freeway only to abandon it (LAist)