Recommendation to receive Charter Commission appointments and reappointments approved by the Personnel and Civil Service Committee pursuant to Section 509 of the City Charter and Section 2.03.065 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.
So let me have the the clerk, please read the item. Communication from Vice Mayor De Andrew's Personnel and Civil Service Committee Chair Recommendation to receive Charter Commission appointments and reappointment approved by the Personnel and Civil Service Committee. Vice Mayor Andrews. Yes, thank you, Mayor. It's quite a pleasure for me to be able to represent this body in what you are going to ask tonight. For my colleagues to have a second and a first on this item, because I'm sure that this individual that has been been asked to be a part of this. I want everyone here to really get behind us and let you know we have some fabulous appointees in the mayor. We'll take it from there. Thank you. Thank you. Vice Mayor Andrews, these are we're doing three charter commission appointments today. And I want to just briefly chat about each of them. I want to first congratulate James O'Mara, who is a District one resident who is being appointed to the Citizen's Police Complaints Commission. James has a District one resident and currently works as a senior communications manager for the US will be Associated Students, Inc.. In that capacity, he oversees communications and media and strategy for the ACI at Cal State Long Beach. He is also a graduate of this year's leadership language class as a member of the Cal State Long Beach Alumni Association Board involving the numerous community organizations and is active across the Cal State Long Beach campus. He's looking forward to joining this commission. I know that Mr. Matt is here, so let's give him a round of applause and thank you for being here. James Mar Our next appointment is to our Civil Service Commission. Again, important role. These five member body, of course, really oversees and looks at our hiring and our recruitment. Mr. Dowling is the communications director for Pacific Sussex Enterprises, where he oversees communications, community engagement and employee leadership and messaging. But I got I got to know Mr. Dowling actually when he worked for the city and was here in our communications department and was a great part of our team as well. He was the communications officer for the city manager's office and Brandon has also served as the internal communications director for Molina Health Care. So a lot of experience here locally in the city of Long Beach. He is currently also involved in a variety of community organizations across the city. And I know Mr. Dowling was trying to get here from work. I'm not sure if he made it here yet, but let's welcome him and give him a round of applause if he is here. And our final appointment today is to our harbor commission. And I'm proud to appoint Steven Neal, a former member of this body, to our harbor commission. Steve Neal has for more than three decades advocated and served to help working families across the Long Beach area. He has been on the board of the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network. He was the chair of Our Citizens Measure, a committee on the Long Beach Transit Board and served on a variety of numerous bodies across the city. I'll also note that Steve is also senior pastor with Life Gospel Ministries. So Pastor Neal has been serving this community for a very long time. And I had the honor of serving with with Pastor Neal also on this body. And I always tell folks, as you know, Steve, that I have met very few people with your level of integrity and love of community and service. And so I just want to thank you for that incredible service. I just want to also add one more thing, because I think it's important. Mr. Neal will become the first a member of the Harbor Commission from North Long Beach. We believe in the history, certainly in the modern history of the port, and it's been important to ensure that there is representation from across the city. And we have some wonderful harbor commissioners. But to see your leadership and to have someone from from North Palm Beach on this commission is very important. And we're very proud of that and proud of you for your willingness to serve. I will also note I'm very impressed. I know I have a letter in front of me with over 100 leaders within our African-American black community here in the city supporting you. I was just mentioning to Vice Mayor Andrews that it seems like everybody's on this letter, which shows, I think, your breadth of support, not just within the African-American community, which I know is very strong, but across the city as well. Steve, I know that you will always think about Long Beach, about our city, about all neighborhoods across the city, and ensure that our port continues to be the economic engine and force for good that it is here locally, but across the world as well. So we're honored for your interest to serve. And you and your family have been of great service to the city of Long Beach. So congratulations to you and welcome Steve as well, Mr. Neal. And with that, I'm going to turn this over to Councilmember Ringo. For some remarks. Thank you, Mary. And I, too, want to add my voice that when it comes to commissions, it's the beginning of a of a service to the city of law, which are to the citizens of Long Beach. I want to congratulate you in this further endeavor and welcome you volunteerism, because it is a job of Christ that you do. And I know that for for Mr. O'Neill, it's O'Neill, Neal. It's especially important. So I want to welcome you and looking forward to working with you as you continue your service to city along. And consider Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I know all three of these gentlemen have gotten to know Brandon here recently. But so congratulations to all three of you. But my relationship with Councilman Neal, I got to tell you, I'm incredibly proud of this appointment. Mr. Mayor, this is this is. You know, this. This appointment is important to a lot of our communities. We've it's been an ongoing conversation about making sure that all corners of our city are represented. And we've talked about certain commissions like harbor and planning, how important to make sure we have folks from 9 to 5 represent represented , giving us, you know, a fifth of the city's population. And we've never had representation there. And I have to tell you, you know, Mr. Neal, when he was on on council, was a champion for for equity, a champion for inclusion. You know, we'd had conversations years and years about making sure that the port looks north. Right? Those trucks and goods move and all that comes that comes through North Long Beach. And we need to make sure that we're we have a seat at the table. And folks have heard me say this term, but I got it from Steve Neal. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're most likely on the menu. And so, Steve, congratulations. You got a seat at the table. But we still have work to do. Thanks a lot. Councilman Austin. Thank you. I'd like to join in the chorus of congratulations to all of the new commissioners. It is a labor of love and certainly a great service to your city. I began my involvement in the city of Long Beach in 2003 as a commissioner on the PCC. And so I know, Mr. Motta, you will enjoy that experience and it'll be an eye opening experience to go a long way back with Steve Neal. I want to say that, you know those conversations about 12 years ago, we're starting to realize those visions today about equity. In North Long Beach, about making sure that there's there's great representation, I'm sure. And I'm very confident that you, along with Commissioner Gaskin, who also represents communities along the 17 freeway, will will work together to make sure that that goods movement moving north on our freeway, particularly in the future, we have clean air and equity for the communities that that are impacted from from that poor cargo. Steve, when he was on the city council, I enjoyed working with him. Then I know you're going to be a great partner as a port commissioner and bring that same level of moral authority and voice of reason to to that body as well. And so congratulations again to all of the commissioners, but especially Steve Neal. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Is there a public comment on the commission appointments? Seeing nonmembers, please go ahead and cast your votes. Vice Mayor Andrew. Motion carries. Thank you very much. Congratulations. Our first vote in the new in the new civic chambers. And I want to I want to like we like we traditionally do. I'm not sure if there's a new set up, but I'm going to ask the council to come forward and we're going to take a photo with our new commissioners that are here, and we'll see how this works out. Thank you. We also have general public comment. Is Bill Brown here? Please come forward. And Tom Cataldo, I'm sorry if I pronounce mispronounce it, please come forward. Mr. Brown. Good.