Recommendation to appoint Planning Commission as the Hearing Officer, in accordance with Long Beach Municipal Code 2.93.050, for the purpose of conducting a revocation hearing for the revocation of a business license issued to Damitresse Yancey, dba Miko’s Sports Lounge, and for the commercial industrial business license issued to the Ronald L. and Peggy C. Mackey Trust for the operation of a business located at 710 West Willow Street, as well as a hearing on the revocation of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for 710 West Willow Street based upon violations of the Conditions of Approval associated with the CUP pursuant to Long Beach Municipal Code 21.21.601.  (District 7)
Report from Development Services and Financial Management. Recommendation to appoint the Planning Commission as the hearing officer for the purpose of conducting a revocation hearing for the revocation of a business license issued to MICO Sports Lounge and for the Commercial Industrial Business License issued to the Ronald and Peggy McKee Trust for the operation of a business located at 710 West Willow Street, as well as a hearing on the revocation of the cp47701 West Willow Street based upon violations of the conditions of approval associated with ACP District seven. Thank you. I'm going to turn this over to Mr. City attorney. Mayor and vice mayor. Councilmember Austin has to recuse himself on this item as he has a conflict. And so he will step out of the room during the discussion and vote and then return in his conflict. Is he is a union representative of the owner. Okay. And also, I know that Mr. West is going to begin by giving us the staff report. Mayor council. Members. We have. A quick staff report by our Director of Development Services. Amy Bodak, as well as our Manager of business licenses, our business license bureau. Jason McDonald So Amy or Jason. Mr. Mayor. Members of the City Council, thank you for your attention to this item tonight. The planning staff recently notified the the business owner that there was consideration for the revocation of their conditional use permit and that a hearing would be scheduled in the coming weeks or months regarding some potential allegations and violations of that conditional use permit. As part of our research, it has been determined that there are also potential violations to the business license for the business, as well as the business license for the underlying property. And in an interest of consolidating these issues, it is requested that you consider appointing the Planning Commission as the hearing officer for the potential revocation of the business license aspects of this application. That's the short version of the staff report. I and Jason McDonald are here to answer any questions you might have. Okay, Canterbury Ranga. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you. Voted for that report. I know there's a lot of people here interested in making some comments regarding this item here. So I would let the the people for a public B please line up and speak about this if they want to say anything otherwise. I would like to support that this item go to the Planning Commission for a consolidated hearing. I would for sometime in the very near future. And that was your support. Please. Okay. There's a motion in a second on this item. If you have public comment, now's the time to please come forward and make your make your public comment on this item. Do you have a comment? Please line up so we can go one after the other. And each 3600 Pacific Avenue. Hello again. I am in total support of the recommendation to have this hearing. I don't expect to give any testimony tonight, nor should there be any given tonight, only a matter of whether or not to conduct the hearing. I do believe that there is a typo in the way this is agenda ized. The second reference to an address on West Willow is 701. That would be on the other side of the street. I believe it should both reference 710. Yes, sir, that's correct. Okay. And with that. Good luck. Thank you. Speaker. Mayor Garcia. Council members. My name is Christy Cain and my husband and I live on the 2600 block of Main Avenue, just across Willow Avenue from Chico's Sports Bar. We are very close to Willow and we see Migos from our front door. I am speaking to voiced our support for the closing of Migos. The business has been and continues to be a poor neighbor to the wriggly community. They have ignored the concerns voiced directly to them by the residents affected by the criminal activity of their patrons. And they have ignored wake up calls in the form of the denial of their entertainment license and the recent strings of violent incidents that have broken out there over the last several months. We will never forget witnessing the immediate aftermath of the attempted murder of a bar patron that occurred literally in front of our house a few days after Christmas. This was followed a few months later by a stabbing. Other problems, while less dangerous, are nonetheless a blight on the community. The bar is so loud that we often cannot keep our windows open on summer evenings. This happened as recently as last Sunday morning at 1 a.m.. Bear in mind, we are all the way across Willow, a busy boulevard. That is how loud it is. We also deal with overflow parking on our street and the subsequent 2 a.m. interruptions and littering from drunk patrons that come with it. Residents closer to the bar have it even worse than us. MZ Yancy has had the opportunity to work with her neighbors and with the city to address these problems. Instead, she denies and scapegoats. It is time to say enough and revoke the business license of Mico Sports Lounge. Thank you. Thank you. Just as the city attorney also just wants as a reminder that I want to remind everyone so that the motion in front of us is to send this issue and to give the Planning Commission the ability to do a hearing. So the motion from the council is not to revoke or not revoke any sort of license or any sort of business. It's to send the issue to the Planning Commission. So obviously make sure you're speaking to that issue. The issue in the debate is about whether or not this should go to the planning commission, not whether or not something should be revoked or not revoked. And I just want to make sure that we clarify that for the purposes of this discussion. Next Speaker Thank you. Hi. Mayor Robert Garcia and Council. I'm Steve Duprey. I'm a member of the Wrigley District and I'm going to change my format and that I would. There's been a lot of violations regarding their planning commission cases. So I'd like you to seriously review them in regard to, you know, the purpose of the business is to enhance the local community and increase the property value and the livability of the area. So we need to consider all the violations because it seriously affects the value and the health of that neighborhood. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Next speaker, please. How you doing, Mayor Carlson? My name is Hank Norman. I grew up in Long Beach. I'm a I'm a local entertainer. And Michael's is a is a safe haven in our community. It's a place where community activists we go. We have meetings their. He's allowed us to have meetings there where we can talk about better in our community. And we've got community actually like hashtag, say, Long Beach. And the Long Beach players we meet there. And we. Have community meetings about. Saving our community. So I would just like to say that. Michael's is one of those one of the stalwarts in our community. And we need to keep it. And keep it going because. It's a place where we can come and enjoy ourselves. Come out and dress up and have a good. Time and get out there and enjoy ourselves without having to go through all the problems. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you, sir. Next speaker. Hi. My name is Priscilla Quinn, and I'm an employee of Mico Sports Lounge. I've been there from the beginning and in rebuttal to what the lady said about the shooting. That happened not in our bar, didn't start in our bar. And I don't know how we are being punished for events that happened surrounding the bar. There's a liquor store on the corner. There's a flower shop on the other corner. They're blaming us for the parking situation because of the traffic. We have no control of that. There's an alley is actually not an Alyssa Street, 25th Street, where the cars go up and down. It's not necessarily our patrons that's coming up and down the alley with the loud music or parking on their street Valentine's Day. One of the neighbors was upset because they couldn't park, but people would buying flowers from the flower shop. But we were faulted for, you know, people parking in front of their property. Also, I don't know the 250 calls or whatever that's supposed to been made. I want to know if all of those calls was for Michael Sports Lounge or for 710 West Willow. Because I have patrons that come in all the time that mistakes are bar for the 710 bar. So with that being said, our crowd is a nice crowd. We have a 30 and over crowd. There's never been a fight break out in the bar. The police has never had to come in there and break up a fight or arrest anybody. I'm none of that. Unlike other bars in Long Beach just in January, January 26, where the officer was injured at a bar brawl, there's been a stabbing at a bar that's not even a half a mile from us where five people were stabbed. I don't see them being punished. And like I said, I think we're being held as a scapegoat for all the other things that's happening around the bar and they're following us for. Thank you. Next speaker. And just just as a reminder, so I'm under the assumption the last speaker is against sending this to the planning commission for for for a hearing. Okay. And I just wanted to make sure we try to keep the conversation within the parameters of of what the motion is in front of us. So. Yes, ma'am. Next. Hi, my name is Monisha Sara and I'm also an employee of Meiko Sports Lounge and I am also against. You going forward in any kind. Of sending to the planning commission? Yes. Yes. And I also reiterate what she was saying. We don't have any problems. There is a a nice place. A lot of people come. They have 50th anniversaries, parties and. And it's nothing. Outrageous or outlandish going on there, but people having a good time. People park on the street because they're allowed to park on the street. If they if someone wants someone not to park in front of their home, they should have to get an extra one to get a permit for people not to park. People park there and go other places. They don't just come in to the bar. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you. Next week. Hello. My name is Vivian Bonner session and I stay and also stay around the corner from me called the state of 2400 block of Daisy Avenue. I am a single parent. I raised five kids, two that made it to the NFL. So my thing is now that Michael is around the corner from my house, I decided to go there just for comfort, not to see fights or to engage in fight. I think it's a safe haven for me before me even open. I never attended bars until they open. Now I tend bars and when my kids come back in town from playing in a field, they do visit me also. So I think it's a safe haven and I feel no reason they should be closed. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening, Mayor. Council members. My name is Sabrina David. I'm a 49 year old native of Long Beach, California. I'm also a professional. I'm a banker. I'm a commercial real estate agent in the city of Beverly Hills. I am one of those heathens that patronize me. I have never, ever experienced any problems while I was in the bar or outside of the bar. I've never been robbed. I've never felt any fear for my life or my safety, nor my livelihood. I am against the recommendation to send this this to the hearing, to revoke her license, her business license. All of my friends are professionals. You see some of them standing before you or sitting before you. That's a place where we go and unwind after a hard day's work. It's a place where we gather and we have an opportunity to meet up with our friends that we haven't seen for 30 or 40 years. I personally am like Vivian. I did not patronize bars in Long Beach. I have never been to another bar other than because within the city of Long Beach, I think that it's a shame that we're not being supportive to. And in my personal opinion, I think that there needs to be more representation if the neighborhood is not happy with the parking situation. There's a very easy fix for that. There's permeable. Think other areas of Long Beach? No, no. There's no parking after a certain at the time. If you don't have a permit, that eliminates that entire problem. If they're concerned about the people that walk down the street or are in the alley, then you're basically going to have to close every business in the city of Long Beach, because I'm pretty sure all of you are very much aware of the melee that is occurring within our city. It's not just in the Wrigley. A child and a mother was just killed on ninth Street. I was 10 minutes away from there at that time. That could have been me. I wasn't doing anything wrong, and it appears that they weren't either. So this isn't a matter to me of whether or not the participants or the patrons that visit Migos are unruly. There's unruly people throughout America. In case we haven't noticed, that is something that law officials need to get a better handle on it. That is not her job to police people who leave her business. It is her job to police the people that are patronizing her business within her business. And she's done a fine job in doing that. Thank you very much. Thank you. Speaker, please. And man, before you go, your if there's any other speakers, I'm going to close the speakers list. So just please get in line and then I'm a close, closer speakers list so we can. Okay. So I see. One, two, three, four, five, six, folks. I'm going to close the speakers list after the gentleman that's walking that gentleman back there is the last speaker. Then the speaker's list is closed. So these are the final speakers. Please go ahead. Good evening, Mayor and council members. My name is Deborah White. I am a resident of Wrigley, and I would just like for you to reconsider sending this to the Planning Commission. I think that there are unwarranted. I too patronize Michael's and had not patronized a bar until Michael's opened. The 250 calls that I read yesterday in the press telegram that that that they say are being made. Find it hard to believe. But I mean, if that's the case, that is the case. But please take into consideration the people that are coming before you today, the professionals, the ones that feel very safe going there. If if I didn't feel safe, I wouldn't be going there. And as I said, I am a resident. I live probably two blocks away from the bar. And I just want you to look at the accusations to me that are unwarranted and reconsider sending this to the planning commission. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Yes. My name is Trinidad Renfroe. I'm a 46 year old and I am a 42 year resident of the Wrigley. This is I am. First of all, I want to say I am against the recommendations that you that we have before us against Michael's. And I just want to tell you that this is the first bar that I have been able to bring my family to for different occasions as far as baby showers, birthdays. And all those above things. And I think that. It would be a very, very sad story if you guys would. Go against what the. People are here to speak about. Michael's is not the only bar on Willow. There are a few bars on Willow. And I feel that if. We are going to condemn her. About these different. Allegations, these same allegations are against the other bars that are on Willow, also. So I'm just saying that please take in consideration everyone that is speaking here, because we're here for a reason and we're here to support Michael's Bar. Thank you. Next speaker. My name is David Pittman. I live on Main Avenue, very close to the bar. My neighbors and I were all going to speak. Actually, I wasn't even prepared to speak because we thought that this was going to come on around 7:00. So they will be showing up, I guarantee you. We are thrilled that this is coming before the the council and to be recommended to the planning commission. This has been going on for two and a half years. It's an incredible nuisance, over 250 calls to the police. And let me also say that many of those calls are doubled up when they give us a call number. They put two and three calls on the same number. One of my neighbors. Who lives the closest to the bar. Recently, regretfully had to sell his house and move because he could no longer take the noise, the rudeness, the behavior of both the staff. And the patrons of the bar. And I just feel sorry for the person that bought that house. But we urge you to put this forward to the Planning Commission, and I assure you my entire group will. Be there at that. Meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Randi Hall, and I'm a lifelong Wrigley resident as well. I'm here to say that I'm totally against the recommendation, and it's kind of upsetting to me personally to try to destroy somebody's dream. Based on a personal vendetta, you cannot attribute what goes on outside of cause, which goes on in pretty much every neighborhood in Long Beach to make out. There was a shooting. Yes, with a patron, whether by the person that committed this crime. And Michael's name. There are lots of things that go on in that neighborhood that need to be addressed. There's a homeless problem in that neighborhood. You can interview that to me. Can you? You can't. I'm just here to say don't destroy somebody's dream based on a personal vendetta. And that's all this is a personal vendetta. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening. My name is Vincent Lawrence. I'm a 57 year old resident of Long Beach. I've been here basically all of my life, except for when I was in college. I left to play pro ball and I came back. I've also been a peace officer, Compton PD. And, you know, the things that I see sometimes that go on, they're not right. I was hired by D.D. and a staff of mine. We patrolled that place. She wasn't having events. We would have somebody out the front door. We would have somebody in the alley, which if you lived in Long Beach and you know it. That's not an alley. That's 25th way. That's a street. Now, as far as I remember, there's a liquor store on the corner. I chased homeless people away from from urinating in that alley. We don't sell 40 ounces. We don't sell drugs. But I'm chasing people through the alley. That's not Diddy's responsibility. You know, the 250 calls. I'd like to see the proof of it. We had a book. Every time they come out. And after being a peace officer, it really saddens me to see this go on here. And the police officers that come out have said there's nothing going on here. There was one night in particular where five times the officers came. And the resident that you're talking about, the gentleman that so-called moved, he was upset because officers didn't do anything and the officers told him, we're not coming back out here. I introduced myself to him and he kind of had an attitude with me and I said, Sir, I'm here to make this work. We can work together. I gave you my name. I gave you my number. And I never heard from me. Every time when we're there, she has us there sometimes on Friday and Saturday nights. There's nothing going on. It's sad that there's a liquor store there and people are driving from that liquor store now. It's sad that women are selling flowers on Valentine's Day at 230 or three in the morning. They're blaming me cause. Somebody said earlier, Didi is supposed to take care of two people in the bar. We take care of the people around the bar, inside the bar and behind the bar. We try to pick up trash and stuff at night. That's not our responsibility. We make sure we know people go out, they have McDonald's and this and that. And the gentleman who stays behind us, he has cameras faced on us. All you got to do is pull his cameras and you see my security people doing that. I'm just saying, I don't think this needs to be gone. It's like they're trying to blow her dreams. You know, she has the right to do like everybody else to make a living and have a place for the people in Long Beach to go and come back and be proud of not to be chased away because of prejudice, because basically that's what it is. You know, I heard the lady say that she lives across Willow. You can't hear anything across Wall because we have the doors close and your sound walls in there. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next speaker. Hello. My name is Demetrius Yancey. My friends and family know me as a Dee Yancey. I am the owner of Make All Sports Lounge. I was basically here, too. I know that you guys have a list of items that I supposedly violated. I'm here to let you guys know that I in no. And every way I'm trying to come with in compliance. I received a letter from the planning commission or whomever it was that asked me to give a security floor plan of my security. I contacted Detective Burress, Laurie Barry. I was worried. Would she? I asked her, what did I need? She told me, Just get your guard cards from your security and give me a floor plan of how you have it laid out. I submitted that to her. I submitted all the documents that the city asked for. I got additional five parking spaces. Yes, I did put the wrong date on there, but I did everything the city asked before. When they returned it back to me, they said I was out of compliance with my security because I should have two security at 7:00 and one that comes in at ten. Now, they wanted me to have that. They should have said that. They just asked me to do a floor plan. How was I supposed to have my security when undercovers came in and they said I was outside of the my permit? I had they documented this having eight customers in a bar. What eight customers do I need to security? At $80 a watt. And then I need another one at 10:00. No. So I don't see that as a need for the city to tell me to have security and have different things that's not needed. If you guys are coming after me because I've had a shooting outside my bar, I had a stabbing, which I believe was a plant outside my bar. I don't know who tried to commit suicide outside the bar, even though alcohol is a depressant, but nobody on a Sunday. I have a bartender back here. Well, gee was like about seven or eight people there on a Sunday night, crowded like out there. Say, if you want to replicate my license because of me having these six items and over 250 calls which have not been validated, I need you to then go ahead and revoke the license. Panama Joes. Legends Tailgate. Todd Bowles. Give me 70 and bar. I need all those bars revoked too, because they have done worse than I have and they've been open for 60,000 years. Stabbings, killings, shootings. Seven Wardlow Station had a security guard and a patron shot inside. There was no coverage of that at all. I had somebody shot outside my bar 70 and had somebody at the same time. Media coverage everywhere. Two people got shot at. Wardlow stated nothing but I'm getting revoked. Revoke all the bars license. Thank you. You are welcome, sweetie. Next speaker. Hello. My name is. And to make Michael Lewis. And part of me goes for snatch. I'm a bartender and I have been bartending for turbos and duties. And as a bartender, I have never seen what I have seen between them two at our own bar. What you guys put heavy on us? I'm not putting the blame in on what I'm trying to bring out in our problems because you both to worry about your own. But I'm just saying, as example, that I have worked at these bars, L.A., the bottom line in which you how you are coming at us and what I have seen throughout me working as Bartell. That's okay. I won't do that. I won't say foul play. That's not writing for Justin and neighbors in Harlem next door. How long that bar? I've been a 40 years before we got there. We can find the stuff at the bar in a way before work. So which makes it different from us being there when it was there before us. So what were the complaints when it was KBR, the Mai Tai Sandbar, all that? So what makes it different from us that we black women and we want something? So what's the difference? That's what I want to know. Want to answer that? No. Because what's the problem? That what he's talking about? You know, when you moved in that place, it was a bar there where before you even decide to move into Wrigley. So how do we have the guidance to control about what's going on around there with way before us? So the the blame is all he told is on us. And I don't understand that. Like I said, the shootings like say across the street, they come from other places drunk, want to come to the last minute, make their last rounds, and they bring them problems with them with the last rounds. So but in the case. And that's because why the night within the damn calls. And that's a shame that you guys allow it just because they can call it means from any time the police have came and nobody knew that they were mad. So by your being wasting your time in this city for doing nothing, you actually can add to what the residents because they're waiting all the time because it was a waste of noise. I have a beautiful day. Thank you. All right. Sorry. You're going to. I've closed the speakers list. I'll let you go ahead. But you're going to be the last person. I can't I cannot keep allowing people to speak. So, ma'am. Hey, guys, guys, guys, I'm going to go ahead that I'm going to go ahead and let this gentleman speak. Ma'am, if you are, you and I have to close the speakers. Listen, so I understand there may have been a confusion about the time certain I guys. Okay. And I'm making it fair. And from what I understand, there was a confusion about the time certain for certain people. And so I'm trying to be I'm trying to ensure that there's the people that are here to speak on it, can speak on it. And we'll we'll clearly want to make sure if there is a time certain. From what I understand, some people thought it was six, that people thought it was seven. Okay. Well, I. I didn't. Well, ma'am, I can't I know nothing from no speaking from the comments please. From the sections. So, sir, you can go ahead and speak. I'm going to close the speakers list, ma'am. So this is the last. This is the last. The last gentleman. Well, listen. Hold on 1/2. Give me 1/2. Charlie, can you for 1/2? Sir. 1/2. Okay. We're going to do. Listen up. What we're going to do is because this is a possible hearing and it's a sensitive issue. I'm going to allow if you want to speak on this issue, you can lineup right now and I'll allow you to speak on it. And then I'm closing the lesson. Last call right now. If anyone else wants to speak on this, please come forward. Okay. So please come forward. And then I'm closing the speakers list as the last call. And we're just doing this because it's a it's a it's a sensitive hearing of the possible appeal. So. Okay. This is it. Last call. Okay. The four people can speak. Go ahead, sir. Thank you. My name is Rick Europaischen. I'm the one who owned two houses right behind the bar. I'm the person that was the most affected by the bottom. You know, I lived in that house for 17 years, and two of my kids were actually born and raised there. I have no plans of moving very comfortable. I love my neighbors. I love the neighborhood. You know, one of the speakers mentioned earlier that we knew when we bought the house it was a bar. And you're absolutely right. But it was a neighborhood boy, not a nightclub. Hey, guys, we everyone has an opportunity to speak and be respected at the mic. So please, no outbursts from the audience. Continue, sir. So all the problems that they feel that they're not responsible for in the beginning, call the police. By the time the police will get there, the answer is whatever that might be, where there was loud people drinking outside, urinating on my mind, on my yard, doing number two on my yard, all those kind of incidents. We have proved that, ma'am. We have proof of that. So I had to put cameras on the house just to be able to prove that. And if they want proof, there's plenty of including Mrs. Miss Yancy, you know, acting like she is God and she can do whatever she wants. And I have it in video, record it. So I'm not here to do any personal or become any personal because I did deal with it for two and a half years. I moved. I took a hit on the house. I had to make personal sacrifices. So you talk about someone's dream, you know, for a bar. I'm all for that. I'm I'm a business owner for over 20 years here in Long Beach. Some of you know me already for for many for many years. And including the gentleman that spoke earlier, which is a police officer, I actually sold time to his wife. So, yes, absolutely. But the way he approached me when he did it wasn't the way he mentioned or polite. It was all every time through it. And you know what it's like to be threatened at 2:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning, people knocking on your door, mentioning by name. And I have proof of that as well, too. And also people are telling me they want to f me they're going to go. So I was afraid we left because I was afraid for my family's safety and for my safety. So you want to consider that? I want before I urge you to take a look again, I don't want to kill anyone's dreams. But why this shadow of mine? I have to make sacrifices. And before you guys consider body, put yourself in my shoes, please. Thank you for the time. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Next speaker come forward, and then we have the two ladies after her, and then we're done with the speaking. Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for allowing me to speak. I'm an employee. I've been there two years. I'm a single mother, which I most definitely would not put myself in a position not to come home to my son. As far as the noise. That is so not true that front doors shut and she is adamant about keeping that back door shut at 8:00 or we get in trouble. It's terrible. But we have to live together, work together and try to make it work for everybody. This man bought his dream home, left and came back. So, you know, as far as people outside and the stabbing, actually, I was working that shift. He wasn't even from he wasn't even in the bar. He came running off the street in. There was something from somewhere else that came running from way down past the pizza place. So I most definitely, again, would not put my son's life or my life and this is my livelihood as well as a lot of other employees there. So we just try to come to a medium. Of course, I'm against sending it to the commission, come to meet medium and work it out. I've heard my CAC speak with the gentleman in the back. It's almost like he is looking and antagonizing. He's, you know, looking for a reason. We will be there was four women leaving the bar one night. It was myself, the two owners we have, we're leaving. And it was not like we were thinking like giving hugs and saying, have a safe trip home. And he came out yelling at us all to go home. So I'm sure there are loud incidents that surround the area. But again. You can't justify closing a bar or yanking her rights or her her license because of what happens outside. Like I said, officers have come in, walked through, said they've come back on an off shift. Thank you for listening. Have a good evening. Thank you. Speaker. Hello, everybody. My name is Kerry Sanders. I just live a few doors down from the bar. I wasn't planning on speaking, so I don't have anything prepared. I just am appealing to you to please consider rescinding the license based on the fact that. Just as a reminder, we don't rescind the license. It's appealing to us to send us to the Planning Commission for hearing. Okay. Obviously, I'm not prepared, but my my issue here, I've only lived there for a year. I got very lucky in being able to buy a home. I never thought I would be able to. And I bought my home there. Nothing was disclosed to me when I bought the home about a nuisance problem. You know, I'm not saying there is. There isn't, you know, in my opinion there is, because I've lived there a year and I've seen a lot of things and heard a lot of things. Uh, I've never talked to my fiancee or anybody, but I, you know, I, myself and my daughter live there. And I remember. Many nights. When I just hear a lot of. Screaming and yelling. People obviously drunk because I used to drink. I know what it's like, you know. Just going at it in the middle. Of the night or going giggly in the middle of the night on the way to the car to go home after partying. And then there was the incident where I was sleeping and my daughter woke me up at. I forget what time it was. To tell my mom I heard gunshots, you know, and it was like, come to find out that was somebody getting shot in the face. And this is my American dream where I'm living. Somebody is getting shot in the face steps from my house. And I'm just I was in shock. It was I think it was Christmas Eve, the day after Christmas, something like that. I don't remember exactly because I obviously I'm not prepared. But, you know, I I am all for her having a business. I just don't think this is the right place for a nightclub atmosphere. There's no parking for it. You know, my daughter has to park sometimes down the street as some of the other residents. And, you know, I understand everyone needs a place to have fun from time to time. I just don't understand why it's so difficult to, you know, real in, you know, the people that are leaving from the bar. I've you know, I've I've frequent in bars when I was younger and a lot of times there's security around they're telling you, you know, on go home. You can't just hang out. Well, that doesn't happen around there. Just last weekend, there was somebody hanging out in front of my next door neighbor's house just drinking from their car. And my dog started barking. It was like midnight. That's what goes on on a weekly basis, and it's hard to sleep. So I'm just asking you to please go forward, send this to the council and thanks for listening to me. Okay. Thank you. And then this is our last speaker before this goes back for discussion at the council. Go ahead. Hi, my name is Jeannie Moreno. I am kind of a little sickened by what I've heard since I've been here. A lot of the residents have stated that they haven't spoken to me, Nancy. They don't know why my fiancee allows the things to go on and around in the perimeter of the bar. Unfortunately, her character has been assassinated here today. I have no Ms.. Yancy, I am 52 years old, August 12th. I have known Ms.. Yancy for over 40 years, and I know her character, I know her intentions, and I know the type of businesswoman that she aspires to be. And it's not somebody that wants to bring havoc into a neighboring community that she grew up in. Okay. It's a it's a haven for a lot of us that most of the people that patronize that bar, I don't want to say most of us, they everybody that patronized that bar have been classmates since elementary school. We all know each other. We all look out for each other. We all help her, police that area to make sure that she is successful in her business. It just seems to me that every time a community sees a a group of black individuals get together and we try to have fun. We try to communicate. We try to be together as one. It's always looked upon as a place that needs to be shut down or a place of danger. Well, that's my opinion. I guess. No, we're not having outbursts from them. I just feel that she's being victimized on that aspect. And I understand that this gentleman lived behind her, be on and outside the business. But sometimes when we purchase property and we are in an area where there are businesses, liquor stores. Several bars. Flower shop. There's all kind of things that going on in that community. We have to understand that there's a possibility that the purchase we making, if it's a family house that we're buying, that we may want to reconsider where we placing our families. So I say that to say that people have to understand that the decisions that we make, we have to take responsibility for those decisions. And I understand that you relocate it. It's no longer a problem for you. So when people's businesses are trying to prosper, it's always unfortunate when it's an African-American business. That's always viewed as a problem. In Long Beach. This has been constant. We have to shut it down. We have to stop. People like myself don't normally get in a political situation. But when it when you don't speak. This is when problems and things persist. I had to say something tonight, and I'm glad I did. Thank you. What? 1/2. Councilmember Ringa and then I have a couple of council members that won't make it. They'll want to comment. First of all, I want to thank everybody who came down tonight to speak on both sides of the issue. Just as a reminder that this tonight was not a hearing. So a lot of the testimony that you provided and I can't go into the record there is going to be a should this item move to a planning commission. That would be the opportunity for everyone to come in and testify and give your opinions and your viewpoints and whatever evidence you have on this issue. So tonight, it's an administrative procedure that we have to conduct to determine that the planning committee will be the hearing officer. They will hear all the evidence. They will hear the staff report more at length with everything that has been out, that appeared even in the paper. And then at that point, all the the evidence can be presented and then the planning commission will make its decision. The decision is not here tonight. We are simply putting it to the Planning Commission for a hearing, and they will schedule it and have the hearing at some future date. So I strongly encourage you, those who spoke tonight to contact our planning, our our Development Services Bureau man, our bureau bureau department head to get a schedule as to where the Planning Commission will meet again so that you are notified and you can attend that planning commission meeting to again provide your testimony. So I want to thank you for being here tonight. Unfortunately, we can't accept all your testimony for a hearing because this is not a hearing. This is simply to refer it over to the Planning Commission for a hearing on some future date. But again, thank you for being here. Thank you. I'm going to have a couple of speakers from the council. And just as a reminder, there's a motion by Councilmember Turanga to send this to the Planning Commission for a hearing. Councilwoman Gonzales. Yes, I have a question. Is justice is a part of process. I understand, you know, the conditions were not met from what it states and then the police calls for. Service were high. But what was the defining moment for us to be able to refer it over to the Planning Commission? I'm just trying to. Clarify that there was continued issues with their entertainment permit and continued issues with their inability to comply with the voluntary conditions of the business license combined with ongoing issues with the conditional use permit. So combined, those triggered us to consider this a potential nuisance property and the Planning Commission would have the hearing of the CFP. At that point we investigated whether there were other issues related to the business license because those tend to if there's tends to issue be an issue on the land use side, there also tends to be an issue on the business license side and discovered that there were significant issues related to the lack of an entertainment permit and the continued entertainment that was going on. Okay. Great. Thank you very much. Camera. Go to Vice. Vice Mayor Richardson, who is the second? Let him make some comments. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So I just want to. A couple of things I want to say, thanks to Councilmember Durango. First, for walking us through very clearly what the next steps are in this process. And my own my thoughts here that are in here, and I'm not familiar with with, you know, this bar or that surrounding neighborhood. And that's why I believe, you know, I support the fact we have districts and you have an elected representative who who's really task of figuring out the balance between neighborhood, neighborhood needs and business interests. And and so you are the local expert I'm going to defer to on this. But I will say, you know, there a threshold has clearly been crossed. And I want to see that everyone can achieve their dreams. So a process has begun. I encourage you all to engage that process, both the residents and the community, because we've actually never done this process before. We've never revoked a copy in the city's history. So this is the first time we've done this, you know, as a city. And I and I encourage it. We're all learning here. So I want you all to kind of go through this process and let's see what happens. But ultimately, you know, this is really about making sure there's a balance between neighborhood interests and community needs. And and frankly, when businesses make it easy for the city, businesses make it easy for the city council when they work out a lot of this stuff before it even gets here, frankly. So so those are my comments. And again, Councilmember Ranga, I'll be somewhat supportive of your motion. Councilwoman Mungo. For development services. What was the date of the original initiation and notice to the bar owner related to the first violation? And how long does the bar owner get to correct the issues? Madam Councilwoman, I don't have that information with me. There were some previous meetings that did occur between business license, police special events and development services with the property owner. Excuse me, the business owner. I don't have the specific information on the first time it was it occurred. But then we did send a formal letter announcing the potential conditions, violations in June of this year and asked them to immediately comply with those conditions. And we have not heard a response from them to date. So typically we give a first meeting and longer than 60 days before it comes to this body. Typically, we have many more interactions. And do you give property owners and business owners the opportunity to come into compliance when there are continuing issues, though, we continue to move towards a process of revocation but are absolutely willing to continue those discussions up until the point of a hearing. So if within the last 60 to 90 days they had become in compliance, you would not be recommending this. Go to the Planning Commission today. That is correct on the CFP, but there are also business license issues as well. So we would have to look at that as well and. I would say that assuming that all of the land use conditions under the cap come into compliance, there would need to be continued compliance and not relapses because those those also have a tendency to occur as well. What is the process look like? If this body did not vote to move this to the planning commission, what would be the next steps? So the CFP revocation would still go to the Planning Commission. They see their business license revocation, if it were to proceed, would actually occur at this body and not at the Planning Commission. So this is actually giving an opportunity for a consolidated, more streamlined process for both those in favor of and those against it. Yes, ma'am. Okay. That makes a lot of sense. And I think that that is a good recommendation for actually both sides, that they wouldn't be leverage to come to two bodies to make their cases. So I'll be supporting this motion. Councilman Andrews? Yes. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's coming out tonight to really support Mico and Amber, because the fact that maybe I should have to, you know, even withdraw from this, because the fact that I've known Michael ever since she was a little child, I know the father. I know the whole family. And the biggest part about all of this is what I'm hearing is that here's the young lady and her group is trying to start a business and make her life better. And I think that's what all the American dream is, is to try to open up a business or get yourself a home and do something is right for you and your family. And what I'm hearing tonight is that, you know, seems like the two sides, you know, the the landowners and the the individuals, the business owner. And I think somehow along the way, I know Michael has done everything she could to try to keep these things in order. What happens outside? I've been there many, many times. This is where I go when I get off from work in the evening, and I've never seen any problems in that place. Now, the other things that happened, I'm not there, you know, 24 seven, but when it's open, I'm there. And I've been there many, many times and I've enjoyed being there. And I think it's a safe haven for many, many people, and especially people of color, a place to go and sit down and enjoy themselves and really, you know, do something that we haven't had a chance to do. I've been here for 70 years, and I know that we've only had three bars of people of color. And most of them, you know, like you say, they have their problems here and there, but nothing like some of the problems I've seen and heard of in the city of Long Beach. Michael, I know you know what you have to do in order to keep yourself in compliance with what they're telling you to do. That has to be done. You know what? We know it. I would just hope that you and your your community can get together and really sit down and try to solve this problem because you have a great business. This business shouldn't have to be closed because of the outside elements that's causing the problems. It's not your business. It's that outside elements. And I know the people who live in that district there. They should understand that, you know, we have problems all over. I would just hope that this would be able to be resolved somehow before we get to the point of telling that you really have to close your business. I would hate to see that happen, and I'm hoping that everything works out. And with that, I just hope things work out. Thank you. Council member Pearce. Thank you, Mayor. I also want to thank everybody for coming out today. It's moments like these when when we want to support minority owned businesses as much as possible, especially women owning businesses. And so I want to follow suit with Councilmember D and just urge that in between now and the time that we move forward, that there's some community dialog between you guys and the residents of folks who haven't talked to the owner, you know, trying to sit down and figure out where we're at and how we can get into compliance quickly and be good neighbors together. And it's these moments that are really tough, that really take kind of putting some of our pride and some of our assumptions aside so that we can figure this stuff out. I did have a question when will this be going to the Planning Commission? Should we vote to move this? We have not yet scheduled a hearing date and it will be sometime in the next couple of months. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. But just what? Just a pressure thing there kills me. If. You're. There you go. Okay, Councilman. I just have a question. Mrs. Wodak, if it go once it goes to the planning committee, how long do they have in order to, you know, make a decision? Or do they make a decision? And does it come back to us for us to make a decision. On the CFP revocation, the planning commission would be the deciding factor. Their decision could be appealed to the City Council on the Business License revocation. I believe that is also the case. Charlie. Excuse me. City and Mr. City, attorney. That is correct. It could be appealed back to the city council. Also the decision of the hearing commissioner then could be decided in front of this body. So in other words. So in other words, during that time, they would have a chance to really get together and take a lot of. These notes or that would really need to happen before the hearing. Yes. Yes. Before the compliance needs to be before the hearing and it needs to be absolutely consistent. Yes. Michael, where are you? You understand that? Thank you. Yes. Thank you very much. Yes. Okay. Thank you. And just to clarify that point, I think it's important for everyone that's here. I know the neighborhood folks here, the owners of the bar and patrons. So the process is if this goes to the planning commission on both the license and the Cup issue, but a planning commission makes a decision and if they choose on that decision, what they decide on can both be appealed and it will end up back at the council anyways. Is that correct? It could be, yes. Okay. So just to. So essentially it goes planning commission. If the planning commission makes a decision one way or another, I'm assuming. That is correct. So regardless of the of of the vote of the Planning Commission, whether it's one way or another, it will come it can come back to the city council if it's appealed. So there's two steps to that. I just want make sure everyone's aware of the process so that everyone understands that process. Councilman, your. One last comment based on what I've heard so far. There is a window that we have between now and the date that it's scheduled to go to the Planning Commission. I want to offer my office to mediate a meeting between Nico's and the community to come together so that we could start making some progress on this. Because the last thing we want to do is to break anybody's heart, break anybody's dreams, what they want. And I'm sure that the D.A. is is wants to make sure she has hers. But we also have a neighborhood that wants to live in peace. So I think that if we could do this between now and a planning commission and come up to a mediation, that would be wonderful. Otherwise, the process will continue because we've already set this in motion. So I ask again that my colleagues support the motion to go to the Planning Commission, but I want to also emphasize that between now and then that I hope we can get together and come up to a solution that would be amenable to everyone. Okay. There's a there's a motion in a second to send the this issue to a planning commission hearing, which is the first step in this type of process. And so with that, members, please go ahead and cast their votes. Motion carries. Okay. The council has voted. We're going to we're moving on to the next item. We're actually, I believe let's see, it's seven, which we're going into the budget hearing now because we had a time certain for that. So we'll go into the budget hearing and then when we come out of the budget hearing, we'll go back to the regular agenda. Thank you. And we're just going to take just a one minute recess so that we can get set up for the budget hearing. And we'll be right back. You guys. I know. I know what I. And I'm like, Yeah, I don't think I want to. We don't. I would like to tell them that. Oh, yeah. Like a little boy. Okay. I mean. So a presentation that do. Yes. Education. Something. We're going to go ahead and start the council meeting the hearing again. Can I please get a roll call? Councilwoman Gonzalez. Councilmember Pierce. Councilman Price. Councilmember Surinam. Councilwoman Mango. Councilman Andrews. Councilmember Muranga. Councilman Austin. Vice Mayor Richardson. Mayor Garcia. I'm here. Thank you. We're going to go right into the budget hearing for fiscal year 2017. So I want to turn this over to Mr. West.