Recommendation to request a presentation from representatives of the Aquarium of the Pacific on recent and upcoming events, its financial performance and future plans to “conserve and build Natural Capital (Nature and Nature’s services) by building Social Capital (the interactions between and among peoples)”.
Communication from Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Mayor Garcia. Recommendation to request the presentation from representatives of the Aquarium of the Pacific on recent and upcoming events. Its financial performance and future plans to conserve and build natural capital by building social capital. Thank you. I'm going to turn this over to Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I want to thank Dr. Schaeuble for being here as well. It's always informative and inspiring. To get an. Update from you about the aquarium and its programs. And I'm always impressed by the challenging exhibits and guest speakers covering a host of subjects that are so topical. And I also want to thank your board of directors. I don't know if any of them are here, but your staff and your board as well for maintaining and expanding a world class caliber learning institution. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. So with that, I'm going to welcome we have not only Dr. Schaeuble here, but a longtime chair of the board, board member, leader of the aquarium, which is also which is Mr. Molina. John Molina The whole family's been involved. So I think. John, you're going to kick it off. I'm going to kick it off. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Vice Mayor Lowenthal and all the council members. I think it's fitting that we get to present on the same day that you honor Hispanic heritage. Councilmember Andrews during this month. Everybody's Latino, don't. Worry about it. Our involvement and. The Molina family involvement with the aquarium goes back. Actually, before it was built, my father used to go out and watch the construction crew as they built the aquarium and was fascinated and enthralled by it. Unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to see it opened and we became charter members and our interest and love for the aquarium continue to grow. So I want to thank you all for letting us be here tonight to give you a presentation was about a year ago that Dr. Schaeuble and I were here last to talk about the aquarium. And I know we have new council members, all of whom have visited the aquarium. But I do want to go through a few. Things because it is. Your aquarium. The board is just the caretaker. But we want you to know what we have done with the city's assets. The aquarium has 1.5 million visitors a year. That makes us the fourth most attended aquarium. In the country. That is pretty special given all the other activities that folks in Southern California can do from Disneyland to the beaches to the L.A. Zoo, they come here quite a bit. We have 113,000 members and 3 million website viewers. So. The city of Long Beach gets a lot of attention through this world class organization. 1.6 million teachers visit us online. And we're part of the Coastal American. Network of 25 Aquarium. No margin, no mission without the ability to finance ourselves with your help. We wouldn't stay in existence and we are experiencing our second best financial year ever. And that's without a special event like the 10th anniversary of the 15th anniversary. We continue to build we continue to get the reputation and the continue to be on solid footing. We were just accredited. By the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Not every zoo or aquarium in the country is a member. But in order to be a member, you have to go through accreditation. And this happened earlier this year. And as the executive director said, the use of multimedia and telling the conservation story in the aquarium is unique to this facility . We have tried we strive to be more than just a place where people can go see fish. We tell a story. We tell a story of people and the environment and the role that the ocean plays in that. Award winning. Everybody talks about their award winning this. They're award winning that. We want you to see that we actually are award winning. And here are the awards, TripAdvisor Award, PINNACLE Award for video conferencing programs. The ESRI Award. Five International Telly Awards for films. Most people don't know this, but there is a film crew at the aquarium. They do produce their own documentaries. They entered into international competitions. Most of the time they are competing against folks who have much greater budgets and they continually win awards. And the finalists at the Blue Ocean Festival and most recently, the Cool Planet Award. Which we are nominated. For, keeping our fingers crossed. I think the award will be announced here shortly. We also recognize that we have a big impact on the community. And with that comes a special obligation, economic impact as studied by, I believe it. Was Cal State, Long Beach. External firm, $60 million economic impact to Long Beach, 150 million to the county. We have a huge volunteer staff. 1400 volunteers contribute 115000 hours. People come to the aquarium to volunteer because they love it. My daughter our daughter was a volunteer in the summer of 2014. She came back in 2015. She loved it so much and now she's going to do volunteering during the school year. We also have quite an educational program. 165,000 educational visits. Of those, about a fifth are free. So we want to make sure that we give back and we have life programs that are piped into a military children's hospital and that children love visiting the aquarium virtually. And they especially love the Molina Animal Care Center so they can see how the sick animals are taken care of and see that they're taken care of with love just the way they are at Children's Hospital. Let's back up here. And we have a special fondness for our friends here in Long Beach. So there's 50% off coupons to residents. There are you get a pass to the at the library. We have free nights hosted by all of you folks. I don't think there's a single council member here that doesn't have a free night and it's always a wonderful time. And Free Shark Lagoon nights for for residents. So again, I want to thank you all for your continued support. We continue to grow the reputation of the aquarium and by association the reputation of Long Beach or vice versa. And with that, I would like to introduce my good friend, our CEO and President, Dr. Jerry Schaeuble. We're just going to see it's done. Let's see what just happened. Oh. All right. This is in response to the mayor's mandate to make Long Beach a model of a climate resilient city. Over the last nine months, we've been engaging experts from across the country on different aspects of climate change to determine which of those events are most important to Long Beach. And the list starts with drought and then hot spells, sea level rise and coastal flooding, deteriorating air quality. And we've been looking at options to reduce the vulnerability of Long Beach and particularly of populations at risk to those different threats. We have a citywide education and outreach program that's going to be done in collaboration with Cal State, Long Beach Professors Wade and Ingrid Martin. They have about 35 MBA students, all of whom are mid-career managers in Long Beach businesses. They're going to get to the business community and then we're going to get to the not for profit community and to the general public. And we're forming a partnership with four other cities that have signed the Compact of Mayors, all of whom have aquariums that are part of the Noah Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network. And we're also, as you. The city is part of this NRC study. Pathways to Urban Sustainability. The NRC is the National Research Council. It's the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences. It was established by Abraham Lincoln to shorten the time between advances in science and the benefits to society. And we will be leading a panel loaded, Ezra, on Coastal Resilience next month. Great cities have great cultural institutions. In the Aquarium of the Pacific is our city's best opportunity to have a world class cultural organization. After only 17 years, it ranks number four in attendance. It has the most diverse attendance of any aquarium in the country. That wasn't true ten years ago, but we've worked hard to make that true. And not only do we bring the diversity there, we work hard to build social capital because that's when the society benefits. It's the most distinctive aquarium in the country because of its combination of live animals and media and technology. And our goal is to have it become the most distinguished and distinctive aquarium in the world. And as soon as Pacific visions is complete, we will have achieved that goal. And we thank you for your support, because we couldn't have done it without you. Once it's expanded, the steady state attendance, we expect, will be at least 1.8 million a year. That's a 20% increase over what it is now. That will be very important to all of the stores down in the pike and it will be important to Long Beach. In the first couple of years, we expect the attendance will be 2 million. There's where we are. And since this slide was made, the gifts that have been pledged, that's increased from 29 million to 30 million. And if you look over at the far right, the 7 million in foundation grants, that's about as close to being certain as anything is in life. So we think that we're in pretty good shape and we're still we're working hard to complete this. These are a few of the things that have happened. You recognize some of the people in there. Betty White government. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom with Mario Molina. And down in the right hand corner, Carmen Diaz. And I think if we could play a very short video now that Carmen Diaz made for us. Why should we care about the ocean? Well, because the ocean takes care of us. We are all connected at. Sea, from the tiniest plankton to the largest marine mammal. We are all part of one living earth system. Take a look at these plankton. These microscopic algae are the most abundant form of phytoplankton and make up an essential part of the food web. Even more importantly, they create most of the oxygen we breathe. And after they bloom and die, well. The plankton rain down to supply nutrients. Even the largest animal on the planet, the magnificent blue. Well, depends on plankton. The food web that connects these creatures is only one example of the many complex systems that help sustain life on Earth, even on land. What you do in your neighborhoods by recycling, avoiding harmful pesticides and not littering. Help sustain a healthy marine ecosystem because gutters. And drains make their way. To the ocean. Eventually, from a hurricane gaining. Force in the Gulf of Mexico to the mysterious. Hydrothermal vents found. At the deepest parts of the ocean. It's the conveyor belt that drives ocean circulation. Across the entire globe. The Earth's systems. Are interconnected. Complex and dynamic. We depend on these complicated systems for the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the water we. Drink, and the energy we use. We need to. Understand how our actions affect the planet, which is why. We need. Organizations like the Aquarium of the Pacific to educate the public and to inspire action. If you surf. Dove, snorkel. Swim, or just enjoy going to the beach like I do, you know how beautiful our oceans. But our ocean is changing. And it's up to us to create a better future for all people and the environment. That we all depend on. That's why I'm asking you to join me in supporting the aquarium's expansion. The Aquarium's Pacific Vision's expansion will engage audiences in new and creative ways. The Aquarium's Pacific Visions wing will use innovative technology, immersive theater experiences and live animals to share the most important ocean and environmental stories of our time. This project will help educate everyone about the challenges we face and the inspiring solutions that are possible. The aquarium is more than just a place to see beautiful sea creatures. It's a resource for all of us to learn about our ocean planet. The aquarium has gained distinction by bringing together stakeholders scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, environmentalists and artists. To explore complex. Contemporary issues. And to develop alternative pathways to the future. We've only got one planet. It's more than 70% ocean. And it belongs to all of us. I hope you'll join me by supporting. The Aquarium of the Pacific. Every gift truly has a difference. We're all connected and we're depending on you. Thank you so much. We have had a great partnership with this. We look forward to continuing that partnership to make Pacific visions come true. We will file a building plan with the city in the first quarter of next year and we expect to break ground about 12 months later. And it's an 18 month project, so we hope you'll all be there when we have the grand opening. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Schubert. I have a couple of folks who want to say a few words. Let me let me just also just thank Dr. Schaeuble and John and the whole aquarium team that's here. I think as the council is aware, the aquarium has embarked on a pretty ambitious climate change and climate resilience study on behalf of the city of Long Beach. And they've really gathered some of the top thinkers and scientists and minds from across the country, including from our federal government, to put together a report on ensuring that Long Beach is is a climate resilient city. And that report will come to the council, we expect could be December, could be January. But as they finish their work, we expect to have Dr. Schaeuble and his whole team before this body to present that report to this council, which I think will be very instructive, very important. And really, we are very thankful to you and to the board and the team for taking on this this challenge, by the way, on much of on their own dime. Might I also add on behalf of of the city of Long Beach. And so thank you for doing that as well, Councilwoman Mongo. Thank you. The annual visit for council officers to take people to the aquarium has been a very rewarding experience. Oftentimes, the fifth District seems so far from downtown, but this year we were proud to almost reach 900 attendees for one night, and that's record setting for the district. So thank you to what you provide. Thank you for for opening your doors to the Special Olympics. Councilwoman Gonzales and I really enjoyed an evening with our international competitors. And they're the way that you see the world through the eyes of children is just so amazing. So thank you for that opportunity and giving them that education at such a young age. Thank you, Councilwoman Price. Thank you very much. I, too, want to thank you for the presentation this evening and especially want to thank you for allowing the aquarium to serve as a place where the residents of this city and outsiders can congregate. I know that the vice mayor and I hosted a community evening and you allowed us to invite residents from both of our districts as well as residents citywide. And it was a huge success. We look forward to doing that every year. So I want to thank you for that. The aquarium offers so many educational programs for people of all ages and hands on activities and lectures by leading scientists. These programs and all of the different experiences that the aquarium provides gives us opportunities to develop a deeper understanding into ocean science and learn more about our planet. I know I myself have had the opportunity actually very recently to meet with Dr. Schaeuble regarding some of the issues that are really global issues, but will have an immediate impact on on my constituents in the area that I represent. And actually, as a result of that conversation, I do need to speak with the mayor and city management about really taking a closer look about the around those issues and using the expertize that we have in-house to make sure that we're being proactive in terms of some of our more vulnerable communities on the water here in Long Beach. So I want to thank you for being here for the impressive presentation. You guys do amazing work. The most important thing that I think that you do and that you do very well is outreach and sharing your efforts with the community. I think that there are a lot of people who think of the aquarium as a place to visit for the day. But you do so much more and you do so much to educate each of us. And through that, we educate our residents about what you do. So thank you. Thanks for being here and thanks to the vice mayor and the mayor for putting this on the agenda tonight. Thank you, Councilwoman Gonzales. Let's say my congratulations to all of you and the Molina family. Every time I'm listening to the radio or I'm I'm watching TV, the aquarium pops up and I become so very proud of our city to hear of the aquarium and also the Molina animal care space. And it's just a really great reminder of how amazing our city is and what great work you all are doing. So thank you so much. Thank you, Councilman Tauranga. I too, want to add my voice to in gratitude to the aquarium. You're much more than just about paying rent seals. You're about learning. You're about research. I had the opportunity to participate in one of your workshops where council member Congressman Lowenthal presented a workshop on global warming, and she was a very integral, important part of that presentation. I was here as a member of the Coastal Commission, but at the same time it's something that brings to the community and your access to the community is absolutely amazing, wonderful. And it's a footnote. I'm going to have my seventh District narrative choir tomorrow night. So looking forward to seeing you there. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And Dr. Schaeuble, Mr. Molina, your whole team. Thank you all for this presentation and a great presentation. It was. I believe that this this is a tremendous asset for our city. And I think it's great that you ensure that every part of town understands that this is our aquarium, from the mobile aquarium to the district nights. I got to tell you that, you know, people from all over Southern California come come out when we have our free night at the aquarium. It's not just the people in your district. It's hard to control it. People want to come out and see that aquarium. It's one of the one of my favorite things to do as a family in Long Beach is to attend the Aquarium Pacific. Then go probably eat what? I shouldn't eat bubble gums, but that's that's me. And so I wanted to just just also thank the sponsors of this vice mayor and Mayor Garcia for bringing this forward. So you do have an ally and a friend here in the ninth District. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Andrew. Yes, thank you, Vice Mayor. I also would like to thank Dr. Schaeuble and Mr. Merlino and your staff, because the fact that I just want to take the time to tell you how much we enjoy working with the Pacific because it's such a positive impact and you've made our city a landscape. Of course, my favorite event is the sixth District United Aquarium. And each year is is it's getting better and better because we had more than 900. We had 1300. So I was just counting that it happened to come up. But but the biggest part about all of that, I was the wonderful part about it was my daughter got married in Yokohama. So it's kind of happy to get rid of her. So. But thank you again. Yes. Thank you, Councilman. Super nice. Okay. Thank you, Mayor. And thank you very much for the presentation. Really enjoyed it. And I'm looking forward to hosting my very first aquarium night. And for fourth district residents out there within the sound of. My voice. It's no. November 5th at 6:30 p.m.. So contact our office. 570444, four. Thank you. Thank you. And Councilman Austin. You have to learn to queue up a little sooner because they say all that I want to say. But I did appreciate the presentation. And the aquarium is certainly certainly an icon here in the city of Long Beach has become one. It is something that many of our tourists look forward to going to many people who don't know Long Beach, they know of the Long Beach Aquarium. And as far as the district nights are concerned, I look forward to doing those every year. We we have kind of cornered the market on Halloween. And as a result, over 5000 people show up to our aquarium night each year. And we are able to to have a great opportunity for families to come together. And so thank you again for all that you do. Thank you. Thank you. And thanks again for for all you do. I've always said that the aquarium is not just a tourist attraction. The aquarium is an education institution. It is a cultural institution. It's a place that does research, that leads thinking, that promotes environmental stewardship. And it's great to have one of the best scientists leading that institution as well. And Dr. Schaeuble, so think. Thank you, Dr. Schaeuble. And I see a lot of the aquarium workers and folks here, too. So thank you, guys, for for all the hard work you guys do a great job all the time. Thank you. Is there any public comment on this item? Seeing nonmembers, please cast your votes on receive and file. Motion carries. Thank you and thank you all again. It was a great presentation. Appreciate it. We're going to be moving on now to the next item we're going to do item 23. This is Madam Clerk.