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Belmont Shore Residents Association MINUTES BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING June 12, 2008 The meeting was called to order by President Mike Ruehle at 6:00 pm. The members of the Executive Board present were: John Forstrom, Merodie Gentile, Marvin Jones, Jim Lazarus, Secretary Jeff Miller, President Mike Ruehle, and Heather Altman. Executive Board members Amber Lee, Laura Spence and Heidi Van Horn were absent. Five City of Long Beach staff members and twenty additional BSRA members and visitors were present. Mark Hungerford, Long Beach Community Planner, announced the elimination of the Community Planner positions effective July 1. As a result, he will no longer attend the BSRA meetings. There will no longer be a community planning bulletin. He heard several concerns from the Executive Board and the audience: The publication of the new Development Services newsletter on a monthly basis only will make it more difficult to be informed of planning and zoning issues in a timely manner, the new publication lacks the variance request details contained in the previous community planning bulletin, and staff reports are never included in zoning hearing notices. Hungerford noted the five Belmont Shore Zoning Amendment items to be addressed by the Planning Commission: four on June 19 and the other to be scheduled in July. Mike Ruehle commended Mark for his attendance and presentations at our meetings and for the informative presentations he has made. LBPD East Division Commander Cynthia Renaud announced the next Coffee with the Commander meeting scheduled for 6 pm June 18 at Grounds Bakery Cafe, 6277 E. Spring St. She announced plans for July 4 weekend enforcement activities, which will be similar to last year's successful deployment of officers. She encouraged citizen reports of fireworks or disturbances at any time of day or night. Lt. Rudy Komisza, head of vice investigation, then spoke about police actions and enforcement of California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) regulations. He addressed a number of issues and questions from the audience: Underage drinking violations are policed by use of underage decoys. Additional police presence is desirable near closing times in the parking lots behind restaurants and bars. Distinctions between police law enforcement matters and ongoing nuisances and disturbances were explained. The "overconcentration" of liquor licenses on Second Street was discussed: Komisza stated the city cannot prevent additional licenses. He also said the police monitor the required ratios of food sales versus alcohol sales at Second Street businesses. Nancy Buchanan reported the next BSBA Stroll and Savor event will be June 25. Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood addressed the issue of nuisance complaints. She advised filing complaints about alcohol-related problems at businesses with the city's Business License Division. Numerous complaints about an establishment can lead to operating conditions being placed on a business as a means to mitigate problems. In response to questions about the Parking Commission's restrictive policy about public input, she said she has requested they send their agendas and supporting material on an ongoing basis via email to anyone who requests it. She heard complaints that the commission does not include adequate descriptions of items on their agenda to allow public understanding. Julie Maleki from Councilman DeLong's office announced the next meeting of the Joint Neighborhood Council at 11:45 am on June 19. The discussion topic will be the latest Seaport Marina development proposal. At the July 17 meeting, Craig Beck, Development Services Manager, will discuss the Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP). Responding to questions, Maleki repeated her statement from last month that she did not know the status of the city's proposed beach development project or the priorities of that project, but said she will ask the councilman for an update and she will report next month. Mike Ruehle reported the resignation of Vice President Ron Banner from the Executive Board. He nominated Terry Endersen to fill the vacancy. Endersen is a long-time Shore resident, homeowner, and BSRA member. After brief discussion and support from the audience, the board voted unanimously to appoint Terry to the position of Vice President. Mike Ruehle reported the results of the recent survey of residents regarding the proposal of the Parking Commission to place "Quiet Zone" signs on the residential streets. A clear majority of respondents approved the idea. After discussion, a straw poll of the audience indicated a pilot project of signage on one street is preferred to signage on all streets. Mike Ruehle reported the results of the recent survey regarding motorcycle parking spaces. A brief discussion led to the opinion of support for motorcycle parking on Second Street, but not on the side streets. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 pm. Submitted by: Jeff Miller, Recording Secretary
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