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

It’s all things housing on Tuesday in Long Beach. And a few other things in the air. 

At their 5 p.m. meeting Tuesday, the Long Beach City Council will hear a number of housing-related issues and changes, including an update on its state-outlined housing production quota, a final reading on enforcement rules regarding short-term rentals, and a recommended expansion of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to be recognized citywide. 

The latter change will require more and more upcoming apartment complexes to be mixed-income and include fixed-price housing. Formerly relegated to the city’s Downtown and Midtown neighborhoods, this expansion — the subject of discussion since May 2024 — would encompass all of Long Beach, including its coastal zone.

Outside those housing items, the council will consider raising the Pan-African flag during Black History Month, allowing exceptions to a travel and bid ban by states with anti-abortion “heartbeat” legislation if there is a “critical city operational need,” and approval of a staging permit and street closure schedule ahead of the upcoming 2025 Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

Council members may also ask the city manager to explore ways of accelerating the city’s zero-emission transition of private and city-owned refuse trucks and to potentially limit future contracts to haulers that commit to a zero-emission fleet by 2032. 

Lastly, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has recommended to the city of Long Beach stricter emission standards around nitrogen oxide and other toxic fumes that may include banning future use of natural gas-fired furnaces and heaters in residential and small to medium commercial buildings. This phaseout would reduce emissions and thwart an estimated $2 billion in local healthcare costs, according to a city report. 

Business events and information

  • The city of Long Beach will host a community meeting on the open channel project at the Colorado Lagoon. Held at 6:30 p.m. inside the Recreation Park Community Center (4900 E. 7th St.) on Feb. 19, officials will give updates to the project — in its final phase — that looks to restore a tidal flow between the 18-acre saltwater lagoon and the sea. The meeting marks the first public discussion on the project, following a Post investigation in December that detailed massive amounts of toxic minerals found at the site, prompting a regional investigation and partial closure of the site. Residents at the meeting are encouraged to bring questions about the investigation and status of the project, including past abatement efforts. For more information, click here. 
  • Are you a small business in need of $10,000? Applications are being accepted through March 20 for the Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program. The city program, in its second round, will give support, workshops and $10,000 to 20 small business owners following a 10-week course that examines their business’ health and develops strategies on how they can improve. Last year, 29 small businesses were awarded $266,000 through Level Up LB. Applicants have until 5 p.m. on March 20 to apply; businesses will be scored and selected based on their need and readiness to participate. For more information about applications and eligibility requirements, visit here.

ICYMI — California and national news

  • All Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom stores to close amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy (L.A. Times)
  • Photos: Downtown Long Beach turns into an open-air art gallery and music festival (Long Beach Post)
  • California’s surge in EV sales has stalled — so what happens to its landmark mandate? (CalMatters)