Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application to the Ocean Protection Council for the 51st Street Greenbelt Development Project, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000; and, if awarded, execute a grant agreement, and all documents necessary including subsequent amendments, to accept and expend the funds.  (District 8)
Thank you. Next, we have item number 28 and I'll make the motion on that one. Report from Parks, Recreation and Marine recommendation to adopt a resolution authorizing city manager to submit a grant application to the Ocean Protection Council for the 51st Street Greenbelt Development Project in an amount not to exceed 3 million. District eight. Thank you. We know Councilman Alston couldn't be here to make the motion I'm making. That on his behalf is a great project from North Long Beach. Any public comment? There is one public comment. Amy Valenzuela. How? Thank you. Thank you. I have prepared comments because I'm kind of verbose. And it's late. So my name is Amy Valenzuela, and I am the president of the River Park Coalition and also Tongva. And I want to express. Our support. For the Greenbelt Project River Park Coalition, as many of you know, because you've met with us or not met with us over the past months as we have formed as the first advocacy organization that's focused on the lower river as a community organization and the acquisition and development of land around the river in order to transform it , and. The. Watershed into an asset for habitat and climate resiliency and open space for our citizens, especially in areas where people have been impacted by park inequity. So we have about 2000 members now and we're working with our first project, which is four acres just south of the Dominguez Gap. So this will be a great contiguous kind of experience for people who who need the river and walk along the river or recreate along the river. The greenbelt will be a great addition to what people are already able to experience, but it also represents the type of project that not only provides a benefit to the community, but also creates climate resiliency and water reclamation practices. Along the river. It's also a small step. But an important one to creating more park availability to an area that has historically not had a lot of access to park space. So we are very happy to be working with the city now in this way to acquire additional potential park space along the L.A. River. But I do want to take this opportunity to just really push all of you. The river is the river, right? It doesn't exist in one district. It really impacts all of us, and it can be transformed into an amazing asset for us, for climate resiliency and the decisions we make now, because there will be flood events, there are going to be impacts to our city and there are going to be pressures upstream that will impact the way we experience our river. That may not be the best for us here in Long Beach. So now you have us at River Park and we just want to make sure that there is funding and attention and leadership from all of you, please, to really address what the potential is for the river now and what that can mean for people who don't have a lot of access to park space and. For our air. Quality and for our ability to manage the the climate crisis that we're facing now. So that's what we're about at River Park. We're very, very happy to partner with Councilmember Austin and all of you as it relates to your projects along the river and really everything that's happening south of South Gate to the ocean at this point . So thank you for your time and we're very happy to support this project. Thank you. Members, please cast your vote. Motion carries eight zero.