Recommendation to refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Housing and Neighborhood Committee for consideration of naming the athletic complex at Chittick Field for Vice Mayor Dee Andrews.
Thank you. We're going to go ahead and get that item. Great. So now we're going to go we're going to go back and do item 63 and then we're doing 62. Item 63 recommendation to refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Housing and Neighborhood Committee for consideration of naming the athletic complex at Shattuck Field for Vice Mayor de Andrews. Thank you, Councilmember, for. Oh, is it. Who's, who's the lead author on this? I'm sorry. Austin Carson Ross. And that's what I thought. I wanna make sure that you're cued up first. So, Guzman Russell. Good evening. And thank you, Mr. Mayor, for recognition. This is a, I will admit, an unusual item, but one that is, I think, fitting and and long overdue. Obviously, Vice Mayor De Andrews, our colleague, is completing his service on the city council after more than 13 years representing the sixth District. Obviously, he was first elected in 2007. We have some history with that election. But he has been involved in his community for over six, 60 years in the central Long Beach area. He's worked obviously on the city council for the last 13 years, but also decades. Working with youth and mentoring youth has impacted the lives of many in the community and throughout this city as a public servant for both the city and the school district. Dee Andrews has been described as a scholar, as a champion, as a local hero, and the council member or vice mayor. And with this item, we will solidify him as a legend of the city to the field. The sports complex was an impact project for the central area. He championed it through when it was nothing and just a vision. This happened during his tenure on the city council. And to be quite frank, I wanted to and I thought the council should have done something a long time ago. I know we have a policy that somebody should be deceased before we named items after them or parks or buildings after them. But we believe this council has departed from that policy because I think it's important for and I think our colleagues recognize that it's important for us to allow individuals to smell the roses and to be honored why they are among us. I've had the pleasure of speaking with the newly elected sixth District Council member, Sally Sara, who has pledged her support for this this item. This is a beginning of the process, and she will carry this through to the finish line. And I believe once we are done, this will be a unifying event for all the residents of the sixth District to show the appreciation for the their council member of Vice Mayor de Andres and the service that he has provided over the years and his commitment to the community. And so with that, I would like to just move the item and ask for your unanimous support. Thank you. Do the public comment and then we'll go back. So I'm. Our first speaker is Isabel Avia. Evening, everyone. My name is Obama and I am a lifetime sixth district president and vice mayor. And. I am calling in support of this item and am very grateful to the authors of such recommendations. He has earned his accolades based on his service contributions to the city and as an individual. I have seen firsthand his kind heart advocacy for the community. And I know youth athletics and progress have always been among the top priorities. I started my career in public service and debut Summer Youth Programs in partnership with Workforce Development 13 years ago when I was 15. Fast forward to now, I must tell you my journey in programing efforts in our neighborhood, Inglewood he at risk youth and he has worked tremendously hard to create programs that help with violence prevention. And most importantly, he encourages you to be the bright future of tomorrow. I hope this item can get a nine vote tonight and we press forward to the Healthy Neighborhoods Committee, along with the Parks and Recreation. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is truly thorough. Sue Lee. Thorough. Yes. Good evening, Mayor Garcia, members of the city council as the councilwoman elect of the sixth district. I would like to thank Councilmember Austin for introducing this item to initiate the process to rename, to feel to the vice mayor and to honor him for his years of services and contribution to the city of Long Beach. So I'm committed and I look forward to in following through on this item said it has Park and Recreation Commission and the Housing and Neighborhood Committee. Thank you very much. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Thank you. Let me go and go back then to the council consultant Price. Fair and very, very classy public comment by our newest colleague Sally Sara. So thank you so much for that. That just was an immense showing of your character and I was really pleased to hear it. So thank you for that. Councilman Austin, thank you so much for bringing this item forward. You know, I tell people often that we get to work with one another as colleagues and over the course of time we develop admiration for one another, even though we don't always agree with one another. And through the process, we also develop, I hope, lifetime friendships with at least some of our colleagues. And I know that Vice Mayor Andrews is somebody who will be a friend and someone that my family and I respect for for decades and generations to come. He's made such an impact on the youth and our community. He has definitely shown me how much determination and standing up and doing the right thing can do in terms of shaping your future. He hasn't always had an easy route in life. He hasn't had the simplest journey. He's made it through, through life, through sheer hard work and learning from his lessons and and just being a model human being and very human in every way, which means he carries his strengths and he carries his weaknesses and he's not shy about them. And I think that's what we need in leaders. He charts his own course, and I really appreciate that about him. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm really proud to live in a city that honors him and honors his work today and for generations to come. And if there were ever a time for us to waive our policy in regards to naming city assets, this would be one of them. Thank you for your service. Vice Mayor Andrews and I so look forward to being there on the day that we celebrate the renaming of this site with you. Thank you. Council Member Superdome. Thank you. Bear with him having a little trouble with my voice tonight. I'll try to speak up. And if staff could get my media ready and appreciate that, it's an honor to sign on to this item. And thanks for Councilman Austin for bringing it forward. My admiration for Vice Mayor Andrews includes his legacy of leadership as Polish high school's first African-American student body president. Tonight's item, however, is about the naming of an athletic field. So I'll stick to the topic. The agenda is the memo refers to Andrews as a poly high school athletics legend. To put that statement into perspective, I'd like to quote these high school coach Dave Levy, who went on from poly to coach at USC and in the NFL for 16 years. Coach Levy stated I've coached Heisman Award winning backs in college, all pro and Hall of Fame backs and AFL. Andy Andrews was the best running back I ever coached. I'd also like to mention another school where DH was an athletic legend. Long Beach City College. To put that statement in perspective, we have a video of this 1960 junior Roosevelt kickoff return against Tyler, Texas. So staff, if you're able to run that video, we'd love to see it. Bobby Pryce kicks off with the cheering Apache still whooping it up. It's a long one clear to the goal line where Martin gathers it in. Willie starts to his left but is mad at the 50. Roy hands off to De Andrews. A burst of speed takes him by two Apaches a great block by flank. Roy Whiteside, another one. And Jim Smith takes the rest. Andrews oh 14 flag high hurdler and long gone 85 yards and an electrifying touchdown that's completely shatters the Texans enthusiasm. Vice Chair Andrews from a young fan who watched you in the Rose Bowl in 1962, got the privilege to call you colleague 35 years later. Thank you for your incredible contributions and service to our city. I wholeheartedly support this agenda item. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. What a what a heartwarming, heartfelt tribute to Vice Mayor. Andrews. Rosemary Andrews is a living legend. I've said it. Most of us will say it. And and and I appreciate the fact that our young people that grow up in the community will learn history, will understand that, you know, he grew up. He's always broken barriers and demonstrated excellence and leadership and all the way through his from his time as an athlete, all the way through to its time as a retiring as the vice mayor of our city, which is a tremendous accomplishment. I, I stand in support of this. I want to congratulate my Vice Mayor, Andrews. I look forward to supporting it. I also want to acknowledge and thank council member, incoming council member Sauro. Those were incredibly. I'll use gasoline prices words that were incredibly classy comments. And it really shows how we can come together after difficult elections and heal and put the community first and move forward. So this is a great moment and I'm happy to support it. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Zendejas. You, Mayor? I just wanted to congratulate Vice Mayor de Andrews for all of his work that he's done on council in the last 13 years. As as we all know on council, it's not easy. It's not an easy job to do. But when you know that you're doing it for your residents, for your community, then it's all worthwhile. So I just wanted to say thank you for all your years of service and thank you for all your lessons. And we look forward to that day when they name this special place after you. So thank you. Something very wrong. Like you. I'm sure that there's going to be a lot more between now and then that we all celebrate together with the with the vice mayor Andrews. When we dedicate this part, some of it the real short. Thank you for your service. We will be speaking more about you. It's great to be here with you and we will certainly support you. Thank you. I'm going to wrap up and then I'll turn over to the vice mayor. I'm going to save most of my comments to the vice mayor for when we have our our farewell. But I just want, you know, vice mayor. Did you actually Councilman Mongo. I want to go there. Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to lend my support to this item. I think it's been fantastic. I know that we've talked about putting down this policy in the past for some specific examples, but I think this is. A worthy one. And just again, vice mayor, I completely support this. Thank you to everyone that introduced this. And I know you and I have been talking about this and I've mentioned, you know, there's very few people that have the four years of service and commitment that you have to our community and absolutely well deserved. And I'm really, really heartened that your colleagues are supporting you and I'm doing this for you. I think it's a great legacy for you and it's great for the city. So very supportive. And with that, we will turn it over to Mr. Andrews and then go to a vote. Thank you, Mark. First of all, I want to thank Councilman Austin to praise Councilman Councilman now and Mrs. Cynthia to bring this item forward. You know, I was just wondering, how long is it going to take? You know how I'm 80 years old. You know, with all of that, you guys, I really want to let you know I'm truly humbled and I appreciate all of my colleagues on this council. It's been a great experience over the years, and I'm going to say much, much more because, you know, I don't see that much in the guys anyway. We've had a great work in this community and I can only say that's a. Good long piece. And thank you guys again. I will be talking to you some. More after. The big ceremony. Have a great day and evening. Thank you, guys, again. Thank you. And with that, we'll take a roll call vote. District one. I. District two. I District three. I. District four. I. District five. By District six. All right. District seven. District eight. Hi. District nine. I motion carries. Mary Garcia.