Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to enter into an agreement with the LA 2024 Exploratory Committee to host a portion of the 2024 Olympic Games at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center area, adjacent waterfront, and other possible areas throughout Long Beach.  (Citywide)
And so a lot of moving today because we have people that have time certains but we'll try to get through everything as best possible. And so we're going to go first into the item around the Olympics, which is item 25, which we need to get out of the way. So Madam Clerk, read the item and then I'm going to kick us off and turn it over to staff. Report from City Manager a recommendation to enter into an agreement with the L.A. 2024 Exploratory Committee to host a portion of the 2024 Olympic Games at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center area adjacent to waterfront and other possible areas throughout Long Beach Citywide. Thank you. Let me let me just go ahead and begin I want to just begin by saying over the last approximately 6 to 7 months, we've been working directly with Mayor Eric Garcetti and the L.A. 2024 Committee to ensure that Long Beach is well-represented. And as part of the official United States Olympic bid, which we know that Los Angeles is carrying the flag for our country in the 2024 round. As we probably are aware, many of the sites initially that were released preliminarily were out in the public. And since that time to today, I really want to thank but particularly our city staff for working with us so closely to ensure that we would be well represented as part of the bid. But in addition to that, I want to thank the our convention visitors bureau staff who did fantastic work to ensure that our Olympic bid know the quality of events that we're able to really put together here in the city of Long Beach. In addition to that. I want to just say that Long Beach has a long history with the Olympics. This is an Olympic city. We have hosted games and events in this community. We have almost more Olympians in any other major metropolitan area and certainly one of the largest cities that produces Olympics anywhere in the country, particularly when you're talking about all of our events that happen to do with swimming and volleyball and all of our aquatic events. And so there's a strong tradition of the Olympics here. The to be a part of the United States bid, we know, would be historic and would also be, I believe, if structured appropriately, which I know we would, an incredibly strong economic benefit to the city of Long Beach. And so, again, I want to thank Mayor Garcetti for his partnership, and I look forward to being able to move forward and bring the Olympics not just to Los Angeles, but bring the Olympics to Long Beach as well. So with that. Mr. MODICA. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think you covered it very well. What we're asking for as staff here is the authorization to enter into an agreement with the L.A. 24 exploratory committee to host several events here in Long Beach. We would essentially be entering into an agreement to reserve the space and time we expect, as noted in your staff report, that the cost of the venues would be offset by the by the Olympic Committee. They would essentially pay for the costs associated with those. And then if there was any costs that aren't going to be covered, we would come back to the city council at a later date. We would essentially save that time for them. And then if we are selected next September 2017, we would essentially be talking more in specificity about costs and what that would look like in our city. So we're available for any questions. And we we know we're going to get questions about what those events are. And we expect to hear very soon from L.A. 24, announcing all those proposed locations and exactly which events are going in which cities. So they're going to make that announcement soon. Thank you. And and with that, I have a motion to second Councilwoman Gonzales. Yes. I just want to thank city staff for their hard work as well as our mayor. I know this is incredible for our city. We are an Olympian city. I would also like to see when we get that information, what type of economic impact that will bring to our city, because I know it will be, you know , very, very positive. And I'd like to see that those numbers to see how we can really benefit from that economically. So thank you very much for your work. Thank you, Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. And I know it's really preliminary and there's still a lot to learn, but I just want to express how exciting this is potentially to have be on the world stage, you know, right here in Long Beach. And this is, I would say, once in a lifetime. But I think we've calculated with 40 years since the last time I was in L.A. so maybe twice in a lifetime opportunity. But we're really excited about this and I hope it all works out. Thank you. Councilmember Pierce. Yes. When I go, the sentiment for my colleagues, I think this is a great opportunity to continue to keep Long Beach on the map, to celebrate the assets that we have in this city. Looking back at the other two years that we had the Olympics in Long Beach, from just some initial research, it looks like we did make money and then additional funds that were made were actually invested back in the youth programs. And there's a commitment from the Olympics to continue to do that investment. So really looking forward to what might come and continuing to have the conversations about what economic impact there might be. Thank you. Thank you. And public comment, please. Anyone from the public. Very good. You click as the address. As I mentioned when it was first announced, a number, you know, two years ago, I fully support the concept. There's no reason why we can't duplicate what happened in 1984. If. The bid is structured properly. My analysis, my perspective comes from having studied the bidding process when I first became involved in the growing community in 2000, in 1984, excuse me, 1982, two years before the games. And I've been studying it ever since. And my sense is that we can certainly do it. And that is particularly true if it's well-managed. The key will be having say so. I'll make a very blunt. But before, as you remember, I had after the Paris attack attacks, my position was and it still is I don't think it would prevail still is that the U.S. should stand down. This term, this bidding cycle, support this republic's oldest ally. Having said that. The key to SoCal receiving the bid. Will depend upon the Long Beach, the enhanced new Long Beach Marine Stadium. If the Marine Stadium is not the rowing venue, so Cal will not prevail. And that comes from an analysis and understanding of the IOC and its culture. The. And I'm not in the IOC. But the the growing dynamic within that IOC. It is the oldest. There is. And those members are embedded in a civic, social, financial, governmental, military paradigms. Other countries, the former British Commonwealth, the former Great Britain, all those countries, the former Soviet Union, South America. They want to come here, period. Lake Casitas turned out to be a turnoff to far away, even driving, speeding up at speeds I won't tell you about on barren freeways. They and they recognize that. Then the second place they were going to put it in, the sign was Balboa Lake Balboa in the middle of San Fernando Valley in the summer with 103 degree heat. That's absurd on its face. The last announced location was as far down the coast, but beyond at or near Chula Vista, which is the same as well, distant up out of Lake Casitas. It's too far from the Olympic vibe and so forth. Long Beach Marine Stadium with the enhanced enhanced open channel, which apparently should be remembered, was. Thank you, Mr.. Genesis, for that. So it was the USOC Olympic Committee. Thank you for that was their idea. Unfortunately, you're going to hear time all day. Time is up. Thank you very. Much and understand the appeal. Thank you very much. Next up is Council Member Supernova. Thank you for public opinion or public comment. I didn't see anybody else here. Thank you. I would just like to add to the proposal here that we add a component to look at our rich history in the Olympics. And if we're going to have members of a committee visiting our city that we take a look at, some of the historic sites, Marine Stadium, and in particular in the fourth District is a traffic circle. The traffic circle was built for the 1932 Olympics, and it's not in real good shape right now. So I'd like to see us get some enhancements in there. So if we did bring visitors to the site, they would enjoy that. Also, we have Lakewood Boulevard in my district. That was part of the 1984 Olympic torch run. And I think just showing visitors those historic sites may mean a lot. And I haven't discussed this with the councilmember from the first District, but actually a vacant lot at the corner of 14th and Locust won the contest that the local paper put on for decorating or enhancing vacant lots for the 32 Olympics. And you think we have rough economic times now? Imagine 1932 in the Depression and they went to the public for volunteers to do decorations and whatnot. My grandfather won that contest that year for planning flowers on that lot, so I don't know if it's a friendly amendment, but I'd just like to add to this that we have a component involved that we look at our historic sites and maybe put some energy and maybe money into enhancing them. And I think absolutely. I think if tonight goes and proved, I understand that management worked directly with the 2024 team. And then if awarded, there will be a long series of of involvement of the council as well as the community. And the community will be asked to participate. It will be a huge city wide effort, and I think that's an excellent suggestion and idea. See no other comments on this. Members, please go. Oh, there's another public comment. Sorry, I didn't see you there. Please come forward. Tom Shannon, one word for a rival entrepreneurial to beach. I had the good fortune of being involved in the 84 Olympics in yachting and can assure you this is a huge plus for this city to come back and have this opportunity again. We had over 2000 volunteers put that together and all of the funds that came through to this city for all the venues we had were substantial. So I encourage every one of you to really seriously get behind this process and make it all happen. Thank you. Thank you, Tom. See no other comments. Please cast your votes, members. Motion carries. Excellent. Good news ahead. Let's go ahead and take the commission item, kind of. Some of them are here and I want to make sure that we're get them on their way. Madam Clerk.