Writing Shotgun

MAIN LIBRARY LEAKS, QUEEN MARY COSTS AIRED IN BUDGET TALKS

Theo DouglasTue. July 01
 

Another year, another city budget–this one made perhaps more interesting by what they’re now calling a projected $16.9 structural deficit in the 2009 Fiscal Year.

Otherwise, this afternoon’s Long Beach City Council budget workshop in Council Chambers veered from dry (four words: “Successful Refuse Nexus Study”) to, in Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal’s words, “draconian” (you be the judge of that), but we still don’t know exactly how the city will dig itself out of its financial hole.

There’s been rumblings of a parcel tax for those of us who own land, but two of the wilder possibilities the Council and city staffers kicked around included rebuilding or relocating the Main Library currently in Lincoln Park–and turning control of the Queen Mary over to the Port of Long Beach.

Um, ex-squeeze me?

That last suggestion wasn’t on the hand-out; it came from Eighth District Councilwoman Rae Gabelich, after the Council and members of the public heard City Manager Pat West and Director of Financial Management Lori Ann Farrell preach financial abstinence and sober living.

The city’s ideas on belt-tightening included continuing a departmental vacancy rate of about 12 percent at City Hall (the statewide average is 7 percent, according to West); asking non-General Fund-funded departments, such as the Redevelopment Agency, to help do things like graffiti removal; eliminating redundant services (currently, six different agencies patrol our beaches); and making groups that use our police, such as Long Beach Transit and Long Beach City College, pay the full cost of their services.

As for making more money, Farrell said part of that will take care of itself, thanks to high city oil revenues. She also suggested that the municipal code could be changed so that the fines drivers pay for moving violations come to the city instead of going to the Department of Motor Vehicles; and that the city continue investigating how to collect a bed tax from online hotel bookings.

Other possibilities, said Farrell, include increasing the utility users tax, and–someday–talking about electronic billboards again.

Then there was the problem of the Main Library where when it rains, sometimes it pours on the books.

(In what we believe is a related development, the gardens atop the library–reportedly designed to make up for the loss of the original, more pastoral Lincoln Park–look as if they haven’t been watered since the George H.W. Bush administration.)

“Right now, we’re looking at perhaps $10 million in structural improvements to make that a safe library again and resolve some water issues and some mold issues,” West said. “But we’d really like to take a hard look at relocating the Main Library before we put that $10 million in there.”

(Say–maybe the city could go in with Acres of Books and split the cost of a place.)

Council members listened and, generally, asked for more detail and specifics. There wasn’t a lot of back-and-forth debate between the council and staffers–nor was there any comment from the public; this seemed to be a day for requests and big-picture ideas.

“This is a good start but this is probably something that we should have started a couple months back. My frustration is that there were only a couple times where actual dollars were discussed,” Gabelich said. “In less than 30 days we’re going to be looking at a budget in which we’re going to have to make decisions. I hope it comes with a little more clarity than it did [in past years].”

As for ways to ease the city’s burden, Gabelich said, “Maybe it’s time that we talk about giving the Queen Mary back to the Port of Long Beach, with directives to provide state -of-the-art facilities for the City of Long Beach, and let that fall on their backs and not ours.

“We don’t have the money to do any of it,” Gabelich said. “So I’d like that to  be a point of discussion.”

And so it went. The 2008 Fiscal Year ends Sept. 30.

If he hasn’t already, Mayor Bob Foster will get a proposed budget later this week from the city staff. He’ll make his suggestions and hand it over to the Council by Aug. 1. The city’s Budget Oversight Committee will weigh in at some point–and the Council will have until Sept. 15 to adopt a 2009 budget.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RELATED

Viewing 17 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    I'll believe the city is serious about fixing the budget deficit when they do away with managers' take-home cars. That's gotta save six figures a year, easy.
    • ^
    • v
    Anyone notice how there was not one mention of layoffs or cutbacks to employee benefits?
    • ^
    • v
    I can't comment on the politics and economics of all of this, but I have to agree that spending money to upgrade the Main Library would be throwing good money after bad. It's just a matter of time before the Library and City Hall are declared a disaster zone (not just of style, but also of engineering).

    Hopefully they will find a better location for both City Hall & the Main Library, and will put them in the same location to cut down on land expenses (as well as building, security, etc). Maybe then they can return Lincoln Park to its official function - as a park. Put a few levels of parking underneath it and return the park to street level and its former glory. Voila.
    • ^
    • v
    hey dave, did the library actually some former glory. serious question actually as i haven't been around long enough to see it as anything more then a homeless encampment.
    • ^
    • v
    I'm not so sure the library had any former glory, but the park itself did. I think it was a regular standard park until the "improvements" went in, i.e City Hall and the Main Library. Is someone from the Long Beach Historical Society?
    • ^
    • v
    Hey Juan Pardell ~

    Could you please tell me what you know about the "layoffs and cutbacks to employee benefits" at the Queen Mary? I had been offered a job there, however, they never ended up informing me of the benefits and wouldn't let me talk to H.R. about them. I found that rather odd and became suspicious if benefits were even going to be offered. Do you work there? Do you know what the benefits are? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


    Thanks,

    CC
    • ^
    • v
    Theo,

    To your readers that inquired as to status of Queen Mary employee situation - No cutbacks to employee benefits at all. Human Resources has open door policy all the time and is more than happy to answer questions regarding benefits to a potential or existing employee. Minimal layoffs were early on in the process of the transition - not current. We continue to receive nothing but compliments in terms of the current operation of the ship/hotel. We were sold out for July 4th and as you may have noted have hired noted historic expert, John Thomas to help oversee the historic renovation of the ship. We look forward to working with the community and local officials towards a successful development that everyone can be proud of.
    • ^
    • v
    Mike,

    I have been informed that there has been cutbacks to employee benefits at The Queen Mary by both existing and non existing employees, etc. Also, some of the managers there are NOT ALLOWING people to contact Human Resources regarding benefits. I think Hostmark Hospitality should be made aware of this inappropriate, unprofessional behavior. Also, when talking with people regarding The Queen Mary, I've been asked, "Oh, your not working in Food & Beverage are you?" Hmmm, I wonder what they mean by that? I've heard only very negative things about The Queen Mary lately.
    • ^
    • v
    I worked there for four years so my review may be a bit jaded.

    The Queen Mary is a dirty, smelly, rotting bucket and the only good thing about is its staff. I made some amazing friendships here and learned multiple life lessons.

    If the Hotel Staff refuses to spend the night at it's own property, please take this as a sign. The beds are in bad shape (they feel like hammacs) and the walls are paper thin. How thin, you ask? I remember walking down one of the hotel hallways one day and hearing people fornicating like rabbits two doors down. I remember assisting a lady guest who couldn't work their AC and could totally hear their neighbor's TV inside her room.

    Their tour is waaaay too short, too restricted and too expensive. I remember getting more complaints about this than anything else. How retarded is that? You're spending $200 to sleep in a broom closet and you're complaining about a $10 tour! Whatever.

    There are soooo many things that need to be repaired there. It's hard to find anything in working order...God, how depressing! I'm gonna stop typing because I'm starting to get pissed off.
    • ^
    • v
    The Queen Mary was by far the worst hotel experience of my life.

    1. The suite we had reserved was unavailable.
    2. the toothless meth-head behind the counter asked if we were "talking sh!t" to him. (eww.)
    3. Rocky Horror Picture Show kids wandering the hall all hours of the night.
    4. Woke up to "DROP THE WEAPON!!!" at 4 am. There was a knife fight outside our bedroom door.

    Unsafe. Unclean. Uncool.
    • ^
    • v
    I love how the mike murchison post reads like a press release filled with fluff and everyone else has a different take on the queen. mike, aren't you a lobbyist within the city or something like that. did you get downgraded to pr or something?
    • ^
    • v
    The Queen Mary is one of the most POORLY MANAGED attractions I have ever visited in my entire life. I had to pay $12 to park (no validation available) and $35/person which included general admission, admission to the Black Scorpion sub, and for a ghost stories tour. In addition, the ticket person is grumpy because she has to repeatedly tell every person what the hell is going on. There were no signs which described what the different ticket packages were about, how long they would be, where you wait for guided tours, etc, etc!

    The Queen Mary is an old boat. It's kinda a sad old boat. It's got some great stories. But I don't honestly think the MANAGEMENT has done a very good job of respecting this Queen. Some of the furniture, carpeting, and other dressings aren't very respectful of the period. In fact, they're downright cheap and at the very least unpleasant to the eye. And most of the staff we encountered were UNPROFESSIONAL, grumpy, or just as sad as the boat.
    • ^
    • v
    To Mike Murchinson,

    Would you care to comment on the ongoing litigation regarding Save the Queen? Also, is there any particular reason why, after nearly one year of owning the lease, Save the Queen has yet to propose any sort of project that may be developed on the property? Furthremore, has Hostmark begain any financial allocations for the alleged $6 million in repairs for the ship? I assume STQ will be taking rent credits for whatever repairs are done on the Queen Mary. Will the organization submit to a city audit, and provide legitimate financial proof of such repairs?
    • ^
    • v
    How sad. I remember visiting the QM as a kid. Once upon a time her decks were still varnished and cared for, the woodwork polished and maintenance done. To see her now in a sad state of what can only be described as rot is truly depressing.

    It's still wonderful to sit in the Observation Lounge and imagine what well heeled souls once cavorted there, but one must have a STRONG imagnination. The bar menu now consists of "potato skins" and "nachos". What an insult to such a grand lady. No longer do they serve high tea anywhere on the ship and several of the historic spaces have been converted to more modern uses. The new "grille" looked like a 70's reject Denny's in barfy teal green and pinks (not at all appropriate to the ship nor appetizing), and there is now a tacky Vegas-style wedding chapel for trashy unions.

    I'm glad she has been saved for posterity. It's just a crying shame that she's been dumbed down and turned into a sad relic through neglect and mismanagement. I think I'll save my childhood memories of her close to my heart and not return again. Sometimes it's best to remember than to experience the gross reality.
    • ^
    • v
    My father always said, "you are what you stand on."

    In the case of the Queen Mary, he'd probably say, "you are what you float on" --which is a dank, dark pool of human refuse blockaded by a circular breakwater. It speaks volumes really for how the place is run.

    Dan Gross, the founder of Dive Corr Inc. and the man responsible for doing most of the Port of Long Beach's underwater structural inventory, has been brave enough to scuba dive under the Queen.

    He told me in an interview last year that, even though the Queen isn't supposed to dump its human waste in the water, the moat that's surrounding her wide sides is "the most polluted water in Long Beach." And by polluted, he means 'full of shit!'

    You are what you stand on...
    • ^
    • v
    This ship is turning into the Titanic. I got several flea bites on this sinking ship. My partner's aunt actually stayed over night on this barge and was kept up all night by a noisy crowd next door. The rooms are so ancient they seem like tombs. Run, don't walk, if you think about sleeping here. Oh, the food is awful too. But once your here, you have no choice but to eat there. Bland and blah!
    • ^
    • v
    40 years Long Beach has run with that rusting hulk called the Queen Mary.

    And how much have they lost in the process?

    How much has it cost the taxpayers?

    That city has learned the hard way, the the best days for a boat owner are, they day they buy it.

    And the day they sell it.

    Hey, it's not their money. it's the taxpayers dough their spending. Same with the current scheme, The Aquarium.
close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus