Recommendation to approve naming the new chambers at the Civic Center the "Bob Foster Civic Chambers”.
Thank you. Let's do a quick motion on the consent calendar. I think public comment on consent saying please cast your votes. Motion carries a thank you. So we're moving up item 14, Madam Clerk. Communication from Councilmember Pierce, Councilwoman Gonzales, Councilwoman Price, Vice Mayor Andrew's recommendation to forward a request from community members to the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee and the Harbor Commission to consider naming the new chambers at the Civic Center, the Bob Foster Civic Chambers. Let me actually, I'm going to take Councilmember Pearce. I know that she's the author of the item and then I'll go to Vice Mayor Andrews. So let's. Thank you. I just wanted to take a moment to thank the community members that sent us a letter asking for this to be named the Bob Foster City Council Chambers. And so I know that Foster Mayor Foster was a great advocate for our P3, the public private partnership that allowed the beautiful new civic center to be built , the library, and is really at the heart of revitalizing our downtown. And so I think it's appropriate to have this discussion and have this discussion at our Neighborhoods Committee. And I want to ask my colleagues to support this item. Thank you. And I want to make sure the motion is on. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Vice Mayor Andrews? Yes. Mayor, I would just like to say that I'm looking forward to hearing this item in committee. Thank you very much. Thank you. Vice Mayor Andrews, Councilmember Austin. Yes. I, too, would like to look forward to hearing this in committee. I believe I'm on that. Position of honored people. Whether our still alive to recognize some of their good works. And so as you mentioned Councilmember Pearce Mayor Foster was really the brainchild behind, you know, rebuilding our civic center and which will have a huge impact on on the downtown Long Beach and on our future. And so happy to move this to to committee and discuss. Thank you, Councilwoman Price. Thank you. I, too, am very happy to support this item. We've received a lot of calls in the third district office over the last week in support of this item. I know that Mayor Foster has always been a great mentor to me, always making himself available, but not intrusive and not critical. He's not the one one to give me at least unsolicited opinions, but he is there for me to run things by, and I think that has helped shape me quite a bit as I've assimilated into this position. So I'm happy to support this item and I and I do understand and appreciate the level of input that he's had into the public private partnership process. And now we are exploring on multiple projects throughout the city. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Richardson. As one of the chime in and express my support for this, I'll tell you, it's a beautiful civic center. I can't wait to move over. But, you know, I'm going to have some of nostalgia about this old building. You know, you know, one of my first jobs, you know, right here and I remember my first experience with Mayor Foster actually was at the chancellor's office. So I was I was AC President Cal State Dominguez Hills. He was student trustee. And, you know, I went, you know, me and a number of the student leaders went down to speak against tuition increases. And there was an exchange between me and and Bob Foster back then. And I have this press telegram article that I shared with him once where, you know, I'm reading them the riot act about the budget and, you know, how we shouldn't, you know, increase tuition and things like that. And he responded to me and, you know, and I think it was just interesting the fact that while I didn't get to serve with him on council, I was the chief of staff during the time when he was mayor, the chief of staff to Councilman Neal, and was able to sort of be a part of that last sort of piece of is his his legacy in public service. So I'm certainly happy to happy to support this and look forward to seeing what comes out of housing neighborhoods. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Councilmember Councilwoman Gonzales. Yes, I, too, just want to say that I'm glad we're moving forward with this. I know the same thing similar to Councilmember Richardson. I've served here for almost ten years now in the city and have worked not alongside him directly, but certainly behind the scenes, working for then Vice Mayor Robert Garcia and to be able to see Mayor Foster at the time, you know, basically, you know, just the back and forth dialog he would have with constituents and even being able personally to be able to sit down with him and have great discussions, even if we didn't agree all the time, I think it was always good to have that dialog. And so I really appreciate this item and I look forward to seeing this go through. Thank you. I want to just a couple comments and I know we're going to get a public comment. Let me just first say, I do want to point out and think I think the letter that we all received as the council was signed, I think by about 36, 36 individuals. And if you look at the list, which was impressive to me, it's obviously folks that know him at the state level like Willie Brown. And there's very few people that are more legendary in the state of California now than former Speaker Brown and former Mayor Brown, two members of the labor community certainly, and his work throughout the building trades. But then of course, most importantly, just a list of folks that have worked with him as well during his time as mayor here in the city of Long Beach, whether on the nonprofit side or on the business side or folks that work with him across the bargaining table that often sometimes even clashed with Mayor Foster , depending on on the issue. And so I want to thank all those folks that sent this letter, which I thought was really spoke to the work that Mayor Foster has done, not just as mayor, but his contributions to the state of California. I just also want to say that there's no doubt in my mind, having served with him for one term on his last term, that we have a civic center project because of Mayor Foster. He is the one working with staff that directed and crafted what is now known as our public private partnership that built this building that we're going to be moving into, and really the complex that we'll be moving into. And it was his, I think, creative vision as well as pushing and working with staff that. And the council that helped develop what is now probably one of the most successful P3 developments and projects anywhere in the state of California. And so I think to consider and for the committee to consider naming these this chamber after the architect of of that work, I think is is really great to see and one that I really support. I will also add that one thing that was not really reflected in the letter, but I want to always uplift is Bob and Nancy Foster are also two of the most generous people that the city has when it comes to their personal success and what they have done and the ways that they have given both large and small, whether it's organizations like the Ron McDonald House or Cal State, Long Beach or the numerous philanthropic organizations that they give to is really significant. And I want to thank them for those contributions as well. You know, I'll say finally and I want to add to something that Councilman Richardson said is Mayor Foster served on the California state board of trustees, leading the world's largest public education, university of its kind anywhere in the world, which is the Cal State system. And during that time as a trustee, he was a strong supporter of expanding student access, improving student success and building what the modern California State University system of which we all have benefited from. And so I view this opportunity that the committee will have in these discussions, not just to honor his legacy in creating the P3 , but in his legacy in leaving a better statewide university system. And certainly his philanthropic works and the work he's done as at the time the CEO of also a significant organization, which was Southern California Edison and the work that he did there as well. And so I, I do strongly support the work that the committee will have ahead and and this recommendation. And so thank you for that. And I do want to call for a public comment on this item. Very good who lived in this city since 1976 or 77. I fully support this concept, notwithstanding the fact that he's saddled with a Peter principal city manager that we're now stuck with, but that his other accomplishments overshadow that. I fully support this. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi. Her Linda Chico, representing L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. She wanted me to read this letter and to record Dear Mayor Garcia an honorable city council. I am writing in support of naming the new Long Beach Civic Chambers after former Mayor Bob Foster. Bob and I have known each other for many years and he was even my boss at Southern California Edison. And I still feel like I need to answer to him. And to know Bob, is to know about his commitment to making Long Beach a great city. While he was mayor, Bob navigated the city through tough financial times and initiated creative solutions like public private partnerships to help continue the city's progress. The city of Long Beach has a thriving downtown, due in part to the commitment and innovation of Bob Foster. There is one thing we can all agree on. That is Bob Foster loves Long Beach. He has been a dedicated public servant, and I think it is only appropriate that we name the Civic Chambers after the man who helped the Civic Center get built. And on a personal note, I was a staff member on the 14th floor during Mayor Foster's tenure, and I remember those tough decisions, and I want to thank him personally for his leadership and his innovation, just as a Long Beach resident and a former staff member thinks. Thank you, Mr. Chico. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is Kelly Lucero and president of the Long Beach Symphony. And on behalf of the Symphony Board of Directors, I'm here to share with you that we enthusiastically support this recommendation. I am thrilled to share also that we are quite proud and very grateful that the city has a long standing tradition of mayors and city council members who support a thriving arts and cultural scene. Present company included and Mayor Foster is no exception. He is a great advocate for the nonprofit sector, as he mentioned, for the arts in general, and a wonderful advocate for the symphony and helped us during also during some challenging times, helped us navigate through them successfully. And on a personal note. My first month, he welcomed me with open arms and offered to help in any way possible and in it set a very positive tone with my first meeting with my first politician in this position. So thank you very much. Thank you very much. Speaker, please. Jim Foster, president of the Long Beach Boy. I think history judges an elected official, not just by what they do, but by the context of history or time in which they're doing it. And it can't be lost on us. And what Mayor Foster did. During probably the greatest economic crisis that any of us will ever realize in our lifetimes. He was a tough adversary in a tough time when tough decisions had to be made. And if there was ever a properly selected person by. The powers that be for when history was going to hit us with this big crisis, it was to get Bob Foster in. That position at that time. We were, Mr. Mayor, one of those groups that clashed with Bob Foster. But we we. Clashed like the Lakers, clashed with the Celtics or the Dodgers clashed with the Yankees. And you walk away with great respect. For the person on the other side because they were fair. They were smart, they were tough. But most importantly, they were honest. And when you get to do some really tough things in tough times, you got to have a. Lot of faith that the person on the other side of the table is being straight with you. And he was. And so with. That, we. Wholeheartedly endorse his name being attached to the new. Council chambers. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Thanks, Peter, please. Mayors, City Council, City Management, Steve Gatling with the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Our organization as well. Supports us tonight and it's wonderful to see all of you supporting it. Bob went with us to Washington, D.C. on a lot of different sales missions. He met our clients in D.C. He met with the American Correctional Association. He met with the American Square Dance Association. And if you haven't seen Bob and Boots, cowboy boots, try it. They even had him do a dozy doe on stage. But at the end of the day, we could. Always count on Mayor Foster helping us close the business for Long Beach. And he was always there to close it. And the customers loved that personal attention because quite honestly, again, it sets us apart. Mayor Garcia, you've joined us and Mr. Modica has been with us before in D.C. when he was there, and Bob would always combine it with legislative work on the Hill. And so for us as a city, it was wonderful. Because at one lunch with 80. Customers, National Association meeting planners, Bob, who's always self-effacing, made jokes about his demeanor and his look and everything, and the audience just loved it. And then afterwards, I had many of them come up and say, Do you think he can be the mayor of our city in Washington? Anyway, with that, it's a pleasure to be. A part of this. And Bob was a wonderful partner and friend of tourism conventions and the city of Long Beach. And we appreciate all of you supporting this endeavor tonight as well. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Goodling. We have a motion by Councilmember Pierce and Vice Mayor Andrews to send this to the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee and also believe the. Right. That's right. And after that, I would go to the Harbor Commission as well for consideration before it comes back to the council. Please cast your vote. Motion carries.