Speaker 0: Thank you. We are now we have a couple of other items are moving up. We're going to be doing the Conservation Corps presentation now because item 23.
Speaker 2: He made.
Speaker 5: Item 23 is a communication from Mayor Garcia. Recommendation to receive and FY report on the recycling grant awarded to the Long Beach Conservation Corps by the Coca-Cola Foundation.
Speaker 0: Thank you. I just wanted just to note, obviously, we're very fortunate to have the Conservation Corps here in Long Beach. We're very grateful that their coordination with the public works department and so much of the city has led to such success across our community. And folks may not be aware also that the Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded the Conservation Corps a significant grant to to improve our recycling program. And it's really a new pilot program that's being launched in the city. I've been fortunate to be involved in this in this grant through also some of the work happening at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. And so I want to congratulate the Conservation Corps, but also thank the The Coca-Cola Foundation for their amazing work. So let me begin by just saying thank you. And we do have a a short presentation.
Speaker 6: Thank you, Mayor Garcia. My name is Dan Knapp. I'm with I'm the executive director of the Conservation Corps, Long Beach. Thanks again tonight to have us here. City Council in partnership with Mayor Garcia, the Conservation Corps Long Beach is proud to share that our city, Long Beach, has been selected as a innovative recycling program through the Coca-Cola Foundation. I'm hopeful I can get this thing straight. There you go. So as you can see on the PowerPoint slide there that we're one of seven cities that were selected in the United States, the only city, I might add, on the West Coast. So makes Long Beach even that much more prominent in each one of the pilot programs. The grant recipients will partner with their local city government to boost recycling rates and help and inspire grassroots movement with the support of a $250,000 grant. The Coca-Cola Foundation that brought the program is being led by US Conservation Garbage in partnership with the City of Long Beach Public Works Department. And I think we're supposed to have a video here. And I don't know how to make this works.
Speaker 0: Maybe for our tech folks in the back. Is there a video back there?
Speaker 6: So I'm sorry. All right. Maybe a third time. Oh, no, no. All right. Well, I might add, as we're waiting for this to prom. You know, this didn't work on my computer in my office. I knew this was going to happen. But it's a great video that Coca-Cola put together. Thanks. Well to jumpstart. I'm going to add in here to jumpstart the Long Beach program. Earlier this year, Mary Garcia was in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He was joined by the mayors of Houston, Boston and Denver at a reception where he focused on recycling, innovation and community engagement as it relates to recycling. And again, if we can get them in lieu of the short video, which is a really cool video because we are at the Special Olympics. I was so it was it was neat.
Speaker 0: Well, let's let's go ahead and keep going, Octavia, and then we'll get back to you.
Speaker 6: So I don't have the clicker any more. Somebody. Oh. Okay. That's going.
Speaker 0: Let's keep going. There you go.
Speaker 6: There you go. Very good. So, again, the objective of this program is to receive increased recycling participation in Long Beach, particularly in areas where the rates are low and also to focus on giving up. Yeah. Okay. And also to focus on the major issue around recycling, as I think most folks around the table, around the room know is contamination. So our goal is to really decrease the contamination rate so that more bottles and cans are recycled and also to provide additional support to the public works department as we move this program forward. We're going to be collecting data and that data will then help the lot. Crosby, Sugar, Long Beach, along with the city of Long Beach Public Works Department to focus on two areas of most need methodologies. We're going to have our fleet in the Street Program Education Campaign with our young folks. We're going to target communities. We're going to primarily reducing the contamination rate that really has held back recycling across the nation. So conceptual art conducted recycling at two Long Beach events. Thus far, we've been at the L.A. Pride Parade, as well as the Southern California Special Olympics at Long Beach State. At both events be place 250 clearstream recycling bins throughout the areas and right next to trash cans to try to eliminate contamination. Corps members collected recyclables throughout the event, as well as remove trash, debris and other things to continue to call on. Peace Corps members hosting outreach booth both at Special Olympics, giving away various prizes for answering questions and other kind of environmental things. We look at this as a great opportunity, a fantastic opportunity, engage our young folks and to focus in to support the communities and then become the environmental stewards of their own communities. So, you know, our first lead on the Street program is to train our young folks to be environmental stewards and to be committed community activators. And do you address and celebrate along beaches diversity? So we're really looking at the best ways to get out there and get the word out, which seems to have happened. You know, we all recycle. It's been around for a long time, but it's time to be more deliberate recyclers. That's where we're at. So our outreach materials, we have bilingual fliers, we have our little mason jar, which is not so much for recycling, it's for reuse. And you can use that for all kinds of different things. And within the jars, there's all kinds of, you know, kind of cool recycling giveaway things, you know, stickers and magnets and fliers and also, you know, the tote bags. But again, the idea is to reduce contamination and have more deliberate recyclers within the city of Long Beach. So on that note, thanks for having us here tonight. And, you know, we're very proud to be part of the fabric of the city of Long Beach. I want to thank the Coca-Cola Foundation. I want to thank Carlos Allensworth from Coca-Cola and John King. You know, Diego from Public Works, thanks for you know, he's always great to work with as well as Lauren. Lauren, you've been a great help. And I also want to especially thank Conservation Corps Long Beach staff Kayla Irene's up 13 and our wonderful young folks from the Conservation Corps, Long Beach. Kimberly, Jasmine and Harvey. Eric, thanks for being here tonight. Again, this gives us the opportunity to be this resource to the city of Long Beach. And we're looking to really go take it a step further and really blow this thing up. So thanks again for having us.
Speaker 0: Oh, thank. Thank you very much. See no other public comment on this item. I want to go back to the council really quick. Councilwoman Price.
Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm so happy to see the city working more closely with Conservation Corps and I look forward to continued partnerships. I love your organization. I love the work that you do. Dan, you're fantastic. You've been an amazing leader since the minute you got there. I know this is just one of the many ways that you are working towards expanding the program, making it broader, servicing a broader area. For those who don't know about the Conservation Corps. You have probably seen these young men and women working all over the city. They're wonderful people. I'm really honestly blessed to share an office with them because I get to see them all the time around our halls and they're fantastic. The work that the Conservation Corps does for the youth in our city and for job training and job placement is just phenomenal. So thank you for everything you do and for reaching out and pursuing opportunities like this.
Speaker 6: Oh, this is just a start.
Speaker 1: I am pretty sure I've had conversations with you, so I know this is just the start and I'm so grateful that you're here.
Speaker 0: And actually, let me just we have the council on the floor now, so thank you. So Councilmember Pearce.
Speaker 7: I just wanted to say, great job. Recycling is where I got my activism as a kid. So any opportunity we have to expand that and to make sure that we have youth programs tied to that. I really welcome and appreciate so. Thank you, guys.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman Austin.
Speaker 8: Thank you. And Dan, thank you. Your energy is completely infectious. I'm excited and looking forward to this new recycling program. The Long Beach Council Conservation Corps is actually living up to its name in a big way, I think Coca-Cola for this grant and the partnership with the city of Long Beach. And I know this is going to be a big success and it's all about the young people developing now. So thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilwoman Mango.
Speaker 5: I as I thank you for the work that you're doing, your energy is great. And when I meet with Parks and Rec, they talk about the projects that you guys are working on together. So even though we don't have a face to face, just know that we know what you're doing on a regular basis and our department has an addition to us. Appreciate you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you. With that, we're going to cast their votes, please. And then after the votes are cast, there's been a request to have the whole council take a photo really quick with with the Conservation Corps team. So we'll go ahead and do that.
Speaker 5: So motion carries great counsel.
Speaker 0: It's going going up and thank you so much. Give them a round of applause. Excellent work.
Speaker 6: What should we be? Right up in front of it.
Speaker 5: Oh.
Speaker 1: I'll stand behind the recycling bin.
Speaker 5: Hi, guys. How are you? Thanks for everything. Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm going to come in for a hug in a minute.
Speaker 0: We're going to let you go.
Speaker 2: Come on, members. Come on.
Speaker 1: This is an awesome prop. I want this for every photo.
Speaker 2: Yeah. When?
Speaker 6: Spread out. Thank you. You bet. You bet. So. I want to put something out to you, because when we get on our RNC grants, we're going to be in our knees.
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 6: I know. I know. All right.
Speaker 1: Thank you. You guys are going out.
Speaker 5: That's right. You do it for you guys.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. We're. We have two more items that have been moved forward. That's the Tanaka Park item and the center cha item. So they want to take those. Next item 30, please.
Recommendation to receive and file a report on the recycling grant awarded to the Long Beach Conservation Corps by the Coca-Cola Foundation to improve recycling participation in coordination with the City's Public Works Department.