AND $1.5 MILLION FOR FRANK COLONNA!

Even as they downplayed the importance of their 7-0 vote Tuesday evening, the members of the Long Beach City Council nonetheless set in motion a process that could ultimately result in a $5.8-million bond issue to renovate the alleys behind the Belmont Shore business district–and pay that district’s former councilman, realtor Frank Colonna, $1.5 million for a small parking lot behind his business property.

“We all have a lot of questions about this,” said current Third District Councilmember Gary DeLong, who made the motion to authorize city staff to begin the groundwork for a possible bond election, “and I’m anxious to move this through so we can get some answers.”

A public hearing on the proposal will be held at the City Council’s Dec. 11 meeting.

In brief remarks to the Council before it voted, Belmont Shore resident Melinda Cotton reminded the panel that Long Beach is in a financial crisis and questioned whether renovating alleys in one of the city’s most-affluent areas — not to mention setting up a huge financial windfall for one of their former colleagues – was the best use of $5.8 million.

“I’m nervous about using our money to do this type of thing when there are so many needs throughout our city,” said Cotton. “I’m not even sure that spending more time on this is the best use of city staff.”

If a bond issue is eventually approved, the $5.8 million would be repaid by Belmont Shore parking meters over the next two or three decades. That plan is made possible by an unusual arrangement with Belmont Shore. Unlike other areas of the city, where parking-meter money goes into the general fund to benefit the entire city, Belmont Shore is permitted to keep the money from its meters to use within the district.

Tags: belmont shore, bond issue, frank colonna, gary delong, Melinda Cotton, parking