Like most of us I have just returned to my "real life" after enjoying a Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

I returned to read the community frustration on NextDoor from both sides of our airport and to see that not one council member thinks it is important enough to hold their own community meeting on the $350K FIS study they approved last summer.  Oh wait!  When I arrived home this Monday evening around 6:15 p.m. my phone was ringing...."Are you going to the FIS meeting in the 5th district?"  "What meeting I replied?".....

It appears that 5th district council woman Stacy Mungo decided to hold an FIS information meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m.  How was it communicated with her public?  It was not on her website along with her recognition of being a TOP 40 under 40 winner......it was shared via Next Door that does not spread across the city as one would hope.  It was not delivered via e-notify from our City of Long Beach staff.  It was not shared by the 4th, 7th or 8th district council offices (who by the way should be holding their own meetings....) nor was it mentioned in any of their online district communications.

So what is the public to do....I read the remarks from the 8th district side on Next Door and heard frustration, anger and pessimism...maybe even a bit of the Stolkholm Syndrome going on. 

Wake up Long Beach!!  You have a voice.  This decision, that appears will still be made during the holiday season, is strictly political.  How will their 9 council votes personally benefit them in their political future?  Is it best for them to stand up for the residents who voted them into office or side with a corporate request from one tenant?  Do these 9 elected officials who make decisions that effect each and every one of us every single week care about our quality of life?  Do they care about the impact that losing our noise ordinance could have on our city as a whole? Do they understand the history of how LGB got to where it is today? 

Call and/or write every council office and the mayor with your demands.  Their numbers are on the header of this lbneighborhoodsfirst.com website.  Nothing fancy or formal.  Simply state your position, your frustration and demand their attention.  I was privileged to serve in the city council position for 8 years.  I know that the public can truly rattle the electeds, your collective voices are heard.  Especially if their future is at stake.

This site is here to help you stay informed about citywide issues.  It reaches a small audience of the nearly 500,000 residents.  Do your part and tell your friends, family and neighbors to sign up.  Ask them to commit to attending the council meeting when they finally agree on a date. Even if that date remains in the 2016 holiday season. 

If you hear the airplanes of today, consider what that can mean for tomorrow as more and more are allowed.  Or worse, if our ordinance is challenged and we, the City of Long Beach,  does not prevail.  There is no FAA requirement  for any city to approve to move their city owned airport from municipal to international!!!  More fear mongering by Jet Blue, a month to month LGB tenant.

Stay Tuned....we'll update during the week as news becomes available.  In the meantime, make your calls, write your emails, talk to your neighbors and mark your calendars for December 13th 5:00 p.m at City Hall.

Jet Blue has formally asked their frequent flyers to write to our city officials asking to approve this FIS facility.  Even those travelers who have never been to LGB.  Get up, stand up and make the statement for your homes and your communities.

Need a yard sign?  Just ask.  We deliver.

Most Important....Stay Involved!   Rae Gabelich

p.s.  Our next post will be from Bob Joy who has dedicated hours of his personal time to review and compare the stats within the Jacobs Study.  Very interesting!

Decision time for the proposed FIS faciltiy for Jet Blue will be before the council in mid-December.  It had been scheduled for November 15th, but last week the public was notified that it has been changed to December 13th.

Our concern for this date change, with no apparent reason, is that it falls in the middle of the holiday season.  This was exactly what 4th District Council member Daryl Supernaw asked not to happen.  We are hopeful that the city manager will realize that such an important decision deserves not only to be scheduled so that the public can attend, but also to begin this council decision with a study session so that all 9 council members will receive the same information from the 697 page report.  We are aware that only 3 council members did attend the two commission meetings; 4th district Daryl Supernaw, the 7th district representative, Roberto Uranga and the 8th district, Al Austin who attended the second meeting.

If you will remember, several of the council supporters for this $350,000.00 study stated it was important to gather as much input as possible before making their decision.  Any wagers on how many actually read the 697 page report?  Another story for another time.  The council also approved an additional $20,000.00 to pay for Jacobs to present the study to these two bodies, the AAC and the Economic Development Commission. 

Why were the commissions and the public not simply invited to a council study session where all concerns could be flushed out?  Where questions could be answered and the council members could understand the concerns from all interested parties.  Instead the AAC members discussed why they even exist.  The public was told their questions would not be answered, until the uproar and vacating the room resulted in a change of heart.  Too late for true public participation.

Now this Thursday at 4:00 the AAC will vote to approve their annual report to the city council.  In that report, they manage to insult the HUSH2 group for the years of community advocacy and agendize approval for the FIS facility without AAC full discussion.  Who wrote this report?  What authority was given to speak for the entire body? 

Your HUSH2 team will be there to speak on behalf of all airport impacted neighborhoods.  Your presence is not critical, but may be of interest.  They will also receive a presentation from the FAA on the new Metroplex (GenX) system that is being introduced to southern California airways.  This system is being challenged in court by several cities nationwide on increased noise disturbances.  Our own airport director, Bryant Francis expressed his concern for several areas within the new departure flight path that will now be impacted.

We ask that you mark your calendars for the December 13th council meeting.  This will be the final chapter in this long, arduous discussion on the pros and cons for supporting the Jet Blue FIS request.  All other carriers stated they are not interested in international flights out of Long Beach. 

So, the question remains, should the elected city council stand by the concerns of their residents, their constituents, or should they support a corporate request for a business to expand; a business that is here on a month to month basis. 

We strongly urge you to email or call your mayor, city manager and all 9 city council members asking that they move this very important decision slated for December 13th to the other side of the holiday season.  This is the right thing to do..........

Stay Involved!!!!