Hello fellow Neighborhood Group or resident,

As a long time officer of the Rose Park Neighborhood Association I have been frustrated by the difficulty in obtaining information from the city departments conducting projects in and around our area. It is often a fact that city staff are unaware of who to inform in the area and are unaware of that neighborhood's concerns or desires.  Participation from the community always improves the result but we must know about the city's plan in order to participate.

Our mayor has affirmed that he would like to improve communication for a more transparent government, so timing couldn't be better for a Neighborhood Bill of Rights Ordinance.

I have attached below a Neighborhood Bill of Rights, supported by Rose Park Neighborhood Association and we are seeking your support for this bill.

With the support of groups like yours this bill can be presented to the mayor and city council for city-wide adoption and implementation.

 We believe communication can be improved and we suggest this action to that end.

Please contact us with your comments/concerns or reply to this email with your support and join this effort to improve communication for the neighborhood groups of Long Beach.

Please forward this to any interested party.

Emily Stevens

Vice president

Rose Park Neighborhood Association

Long Beach Neighborhood Bill of Rights

The Neighborhood Bill of Rights is an ordinance which gives neighborhood or homeowner associations increased notification, the ability to acquire more information, and the right to increase participation in matters of concern to their communities.

Preamble: It is paramount that citizens of Long Beach, CA and their government work together to invest in our communities and to protect our values, including our health, safety, welfare and our quality of life. Information and access is not easily found in one place and can be confusing and convoluted.

 We the neighborhood, expect the right to clean streets and sidewalks, properly maintained city infrastructure and building codes, and a clear pathway to participation in local government and neighborhood development.

Premise: It is vital that local government give equal consideration to the property rights of current residents as to those proposing development projects. We submit this Neighborhood Bill of Rights in an effort to ensure balance, clarity, and fair process in land use decisions throughout Long Beach and will work to see these principles enacted in government.

*          Advance notification of any City-related public works or utility project taking place within or adjacent to a neighborhood (e.g. road paving, sewer or drainage work, traffic signal installation or removal, park renovation or substantial maintenance, land purchases, etc) including the day(s) and probable length of any street closures, utility interruptions, or other adverse impacts on the neighborhood, and the name and phone number or email address of the city representative most knowledgeable and able to immediately answer questions during the course of the work.

*          Notification of the submission of any application for business license, rezoning, zoning or land use variance or exception, development or regional impact or planned unit development application or other significant land use action, a clear explanation of the date, time and place of all applicable public hearings and other opportunities for public input on the application: and a clear explanation of the type of testimony that is allowable and relevant from the neighborhood organizations and residents.

*          Opportunity for formal input into the annual budget process, including the opportunity to express preferred city government priorities, suggested capital improvement projects and other statements that fairly represent the opinion of a majority of the neighborhood's residents.

*          The opportunity to participate in the design and planning of publicly-funded projects within or adjacent to the neighborhood, including the opportunity early in the planning process to express neighborhood preferences about choice of location, materials, orientation, size, land use intensity and other features.

*          The rights of property owners and applicants for a land change of use are protected by having informed public hearings on the merits of an application and this ordinance will allow Neighborhood Associations the right to request a meeting for the purposes of discussion and/or negotiation with applicants requesting changes in land use as identified in the ordinance and it is the intent of the Long Beach city officials to ensure such associations have the opportunity to engage in informed interaction with those applicants whose requests may most directly affect the quality of life issues of the Association members.

*          Notification to neighborhoods upon the change in city personnel of positions or duties and their new contact information.

We, the neighborhood require a network of communication from all city departments or personnel whose decisions have an impact on our neighborhood. Including but not limited to:

Advance Planning

Bicycles

Department of Financial Management

Business Licenses & Permits

Emergency Response Team

Development Services

Planning Department

Council Members

Environmental Services

Public Works

Special Events

Health & Human Services

Historic Preservation

Community Investment Company

Building & Safety

Municipal Code

Public Works

Zoning

Suggested Implementation and Structure:

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK

A network can be formed through a registration process. Existing neighborhood associations and informal, voluntary neighborhood groups who form ad hoc associations, are eligible to register.

Neighborhoods are defined by their unique geographic boundaries inside the city limits. First-time registrants must meet with Long Beach Neighborhoods Division staff as part of the registration process, and each entry must include names of two neighbors who represent the resident groups' majority interests. The registration application and contact information is stored in a registry maintained by the city and registrations must be updated each October for the following fiscal year.

Once the association or group is registered, their contact information and geographic location is accessible by the city staff who will then disseminate the information.