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

Before the Long Beach City Council convenes for its 5 p.m. session Tuesday, three council members on the Mobility, Ports and Infrastructure Committee will hear a very important presentation from the city’s Harbor Department. 

The topic: incoming cargo, or rather, the increasing lack thereof, at the Port of Long Beach. 

After enjoying months of record-shattering trade — the highest in the nation in March —  the Port of Long Beach expects a 34% plunge in shipped goods in its second quarter (April 1 to June 30), a result they attribute to the crippling 145%-125% tariffs between China and the U.S. 

“Now what does it look like from here?” Port CEO Mario Cordero began in a phone call Friday. “Not good.” 

There were already 34 canceled sailings from ocean carriers to Long Beach, with another 36 cancellations at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles. These numbers even exceed the supply chain crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, Cordero said. 

Combined, the San Pedro Bay complex — which moved a whopping 20 million TEUs last year — is now showing a 44% drop in docked vessels in the week of May 4 to 10, when compared to 2024.

An overwhelming percentage of goods coming into the U.S. originate somewhere in Asia, with nearly half of inbound cargo shipping from China. This will snowball into higher prices on store shelves, Cordero said, especially among major retailers, home improvement stores and popular shoe brands. 

This may be catastrophic, Cordero said, for shoppers heading into July — the start of the peak season for back-to-school and holiday orders — as well as for truckers and longshore workers who may see reduced hours or layoffs as a result. 

“Obviously we’re a little alarmed in terms of what the worst scenario could be,” Cordero said. 

But there is room to be optimistic, he concluded, pointing to conciliatory comments between China and the U.S. in the past weeks that may suggest a trade agreement isn’t out of the question. 

That commission meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday inside the Civic Chambers. (411 W. Ocean Blvd.)

Council members are also expected to accept a $2.6 million grant from the state general fund for the Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network and the city’s Public Service Corps fellowship, both of which operate through the Economic Development Department. Both programs will be given a separate presentation by city staff at the Economic Development Commission meeting on Wednesday. 

The council is also expected to accept $1.26 million from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health as part of Mental Health Services Act grant funding, which they plan to direct toward homelessness prevention programs geared toward teens and young adults. 

And the city is recommending the sale of a 5,281-square-foot lot at 1152 East Hill Street that officials say is vacant. The lot, fenced off between homes at the end of a neighborhood, has been owned by the city since 1990; upon council approval, it would be deemed surplus land, clearing the path for a potential sale. 

At the county level, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors will convene Tuesday and discuss a plan to simplify reporting on the number of available treatment beds for substance abuse and mental health. The dais is also expected to set aside funding to aid marine mammals stranded by the toxic algae bloom. This comes as an unprecedented level of the algae has overrun the Southern California coast, sickening marine animals and staining rescuers along shorelines.

Business events and information

  • The city’s Economic Development Department is hosting a resource fair on Tuesday, May 6, starting at 3 p.m. For two hours, entrepreneurs, small business owners and startups are encouraged to come to the Civic Center Plaza (411 W. Ocean Blvd.) and take advantage of informational booths to learn about programs geared towards their success. The event will include refreshments and complimentary parking at the Civic Center garage (332 W. Broadway). For more information, click here. 
  • Interested in joining the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce? Nothing else to do on a Thursday evening? Either way, you’re in luck. The chamber is hosting a free, virtual orientation at 4 p.m. for new members. Included is an introduction to the chamber’s key members and a rundown of all the perks that come with the membership. If you would like to register or get more information, click here. 
  • Long Beach went and did a thing. Officials last week unveiled their draft of the Downtown Shoreline Vision Plan — a foundational report that details all the plans the city has for its downtown waterfront. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a news release that the vision continues a goal of making a “world-class” downtown that is a draw for tourists, a good investment for local businesses and equitable for longtime residents. The plan includes improved pedestrian and bicycle lanes along the waterfront, expansion of the Downtown marina, and redevelopment of spaces like Marina Green into venues for large-scale events, among other changes. Click here for more information. If you want to share feedback on the plan, click here. 

ICYMI — California and national news

  • Electronic Arts lays off hundreds of workers in latest round of cuts (LA Times)
  • Driverless trucks may be coming to California roads. Here’s how to weigh in (LAist)
  • Long Beach, SoCal Edison spar on who pays power plant tax (Long Beach Post)

Corrections

  • Last week’s newsletter said Long Beach was getting at least 14 Olympic events. It should have said at least 11.