Speaker 2: Thank you. Item 15.
Speaker 0: Report from City Manager Recommendation to execute an MCU with a South Island detailing the city's agreement to process permits consistent with the Long Beach municipal code citywide.
Speaker 2: Thank you. And with the maker of the second hour of the motion link to address the item.
Speaker 6: I would. Yes. Councilmember Price, thank you. Do we have a staff reporter presentation on this item?
Speaker 9: Certainly. Councilmember Arturo Sanchez from the city manager's office can provide a brief staff report.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 8: Vice Mayor Lowenthal, members of the city council, what you have before you as is proposing to modernize the Alamitos Generation Generating Station on Studebaker Road by constructing a new state of the art combined cycle, gas turbine generators and battery energy storage system. And given the land availability, yes, the construction of that new power generating and storage system does not require, nor can the Energy Commission order. Yes, to demolish the current power generating units. In order for the new facility to be built. However, A.S. has expressed that it will voluntarily remove the existing steam generators and and stacks, which will vastly improve the quality of life of the residents in the surrounding neighborhood, as well as the esthetics of one of the city's main entrance points. The commitment to bring down the power generating units through the semi IMO you will simply, in advance of their submission to the Energy Commission for approval of the new facility place. A.S. on record is committing to this public improvement staff asked that the City Council authorize the city manager or designee to execute a memorandum of understanding and any subsequent amendments between the city in Long Beach and a South End, detailing the city agreement to process demolition permits as required by the city municipal code and procedures. It's important to note just just for point of clarification, that this MRU, if approved, the as requested, does not only covers the demolition and does not relate to the pumps or their continued operation, an issue which cannot be resolved now because it requires extensive study studies which we have already commenced and is a separate and distinct item. But I just wanted to make sure that it clarified it in case it was not very clear in our staff report. This only relates to the demolition of the stacks and the public improvement that comes with that which a Southland is voluntary, voluntarily committing to.
Speaker 6: So by virtue of this misuse. And is there a formal agreement by a yes. Regarding the demolition of the stacks? Is that what this memo was limited to.
Speaker 8: Through the chair? Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 0: Okay.
Speaker 6: The the issue of the pumps and whether or not the pumps are going to continue to operate in in the bay. That issue. Is that an issue that staff is currently studying?
Speaker 8: Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6: And do we expect that we will have a lot of public outreach and discussions and input from council and the public and experts.
Speaker 0: Before we.
Speaker 6: Go any further in regards to any decisions on the pump issue?
Speaker 8: The simple answer to that is yes, ma'am. And there are also regulatory authorities that we will need to return to with whatever proposal we come up with. And before we go to those bodies, we will need the approval of the Council to apply for them.
Speaker 6: Is there any language in the current proposed menu that binds the city's hands in the future in regards to the the operation or the cessation of the operation of the pumps?
Speaker 8: No, ma'am. And the memo was reviewed by the city attorney's office to make sure that there wasn't anything that would be problematic for us.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilwoman. Is there any member of the public that wish to address Council on item 15? Please come forward.
Speaker 8: Madam Vice Mayor. Good evening. Members of the council. My name's Ernest Medrano on the loss. And I'm a representative with the Los Angeles and Orange County's Building and Construction Trades Council, the council representing 140,000 hard working men and women. And I'm here to speak in support of the City Memorandum of Understanding with a Southland. This project will be executed with a labor management partnership with a 30% local hire threshold, which will encompass the same local hire area as the city agreement that you previously approved. This will put local people from the community into careers in the construction trades, which will allow them to earn good wages, receive good health care and a modest retirement, and help contribute back to the local economy. The Alamitos Energy, the Alamitos Energy Center will result in more than $90 million in local purchases, $4.7 million in construction related work, and a payroll of over $401 million, much of which will be spent in the local community. Once completed, the project will contribute $14.6 million annually to the local economy, which will also be generating tax revenue to pay for the local services here, like police, fire and other municipal duties. We urge you to approve the staff's recommendation on item 15 on the agenda so that the memorandum of understanding can be executed between the city of Long Beach and the SLA plan. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 0: My name is Pat Bliss, and I'm here to represent tonight the loss of roadless wetlands, land trust. I'm representing them. I'm a former president of that organization, and I'm representing them because they are in a very important. The board and the executive director are themselves in a very important meeting. But what we're requesting is that you reject the m0u at this time because the original application for certification to the C e c s was to remove the existing generators to make way for the replacement generators. That application is on hold. Which means that the AEC has requested time to come back to the CC with a new project proposal. So there is no proposal before them. So how can you write an MRU? It's completely absurd to write a name or you for a project that you don't know what it is you don't know. There is no project proposal for in front of the public or the city to consider. If he wants to make a voluntary commitment to remove the generators, they can go ahead and do that without an M.O. you from you guys. And they it makes no sense to demonstrate any commitment to modernization on the part of the plant where neither the city, the public you represent or even the CC knows what the project is going to be. Unless eight years has shown the city the project proposal, you shouldn't be signing this blank check. The you support that. You support the project that you haven't seen. And if A, he has shown it to you, you should share that information with the public. And second, it's unclear why the agenda item and recommendation has any language at all about the continued use of the pumps. Councilwoman Price, a question.
Speaker 3: About.
Speaker 0: The meaning of having this in here. Essentially what she said, what that answer was, it's a meaningless. So why should you vote in favor of something that's totally meaningless? It gives the impression there's some connection between the pumps and the demolition of the generators. Again, that makes no sense. There are numerous concerns about the pumps, and I agree that we all want to clean up Alamitos Bay. We want to find a way to do it. But it's not clear that continuing to run the pumps will be that solution. And we don't understand why there's any added language when it doesn't have any meaning.
Speaker 2: Thank you. So 3 minutes or.
Speaker 0: A main point you conclude. We ask you reject the memo, you as it is written.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you for that. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 8: My name's Joe Giaever. I live in Belmont Heights and I'm an environmental consultant. Between 2003 and 2013, I worked with a nationwide coalition of organizations developing regulations for cooling water intake structures. That was advocacy at the U.S. EPA and in California at the State Water Resources Control Board and litigation all the way up to the Supreme Court . So we are grateful that California has finally developed rules to phase out destructive cooling water ones through cooling water systems. But I got to tell you, it will be a huge disappointment to dozens of organizations across the country and five state attorney generals to find out that the city of Long Beach is considering repurposing those pumps and reversing all the benefits to marine life that comes from phasing them out. That's not to say that anybody who's opposed to cleaning up the Alamitos Bay, I have worked on Clean Water Act Enforcement my entire professional life, and I'm committed to that professionally and on a personal level. I paddleboard in Alamitos Bay, and I want that water clean and safe. But I also surf and chair and Gabriel River. And the notion that you're going to pump water out of minnows, bay, obviously polluted water and discharge it into another polluted water body is just not going to get it. So we look forward to communicating with the staff. But this is a half cocked idea as far as the MRU is concerned. I got to tell you, it's clearly premature. You can't be basing your support for a project on any indication that there's a need for this project that needs analysis is still in front of the Public Utilities Commission and it hasn't been completed. And you can't be basing your support and your commitment to support this facility when you don't have a project description. ACE has not submitted an application of the Energy Commission that would describe to you what that project is going to be. Why are you committing to some to support something that you cannot describe? Look, postpone this decision. Send it back to staff and tell them to come back when they've got all the information you need to make an educated decision about this project. Thank you very much.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Good evening and Cantrell. And I'm one of the founding members of the Little Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. But I'm speaking as a private citizen tonight. I'm not speaking for them. I ask the clerk to give you this map, which shows what we're talking about, because I'm sure a lot of you are not familiar with this area. Some of you I know have gone kayaking in the wetlands. But if you look at the map, you will see Studebaker and up where it hits lawns drive across from. That is on some of these maps. I dug them out of my file here. There is it's called Dean's, which was where Tom Dean owned this area, which was going to be the Home Depot. And immediately south of that shows how the Lo Cerritos Channel goes into Ace and sucks the water through the channel with the pumps to cool the generating station. This is what has been ruled by the state of California as illegal. It kills all the fish, all the invertebrates, all the fish eggs, every living thing that's in that water is killed when it goes through these pumps to cool the station and then it's dumped into the San Gabriel River. If you continue having the pumps work there, this eliminates any value. Of getting rid of once through cooling, you're pulling the same water through the same pumps and dumping it into the San Gabriel River and killing the same amount of critters. Now, you heard tonight that this isn't about pups. When I read the staff report last night, it said that this part of the ammo you was to give the pumps to the city of Long Beach to use. And so if that's not in the M.O. you now I hope you have this the memo you before you so you can check and make sure that there is nothing about the pumps. If it is, then this is not something that you should approve. And I agree that the until you get more answers to your questions and information, you should not be voting on this tonight. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Good evening, my vice mayor. City Council. My name is Gordon Cager. I live at 235 Loma Avenue. I'm here representing myself. I have no coalition or any constituency in the room, and I fully understand that tonight's agenda item regarding this MRU has nothing to do with pumps. But your staff tells you in the staff report that there are pumps that are going to come up in the future, and they want you to know all about it. And I'm here to tell you a little bit more. I want you to think about the premise that an additional M0 you with S will be developed to address the continued operation of the Alamitos Bay pumps once they cease being used for cooling. The city desires to take ownership of the pumps as their continued operation is beneficial for pump, for water circulation, water quality and Alamitos Bay . I'm here to ask you to challenge the premise of that statement. I want to be sure you understand that there are different points of view and. First and foremost, once through cooling used for coastal generating plants are mandated by the state of California to seize. It's because they kill marine life. They kill fish invertebrates. They kill every. They kill the larval form of every known sea creature known to man. They get cooked in the process. And that's why the state of California has requested and mandated that the pumps cease operation. The pipe. Can no longer draw seawater in order to cool anything related to power generation. The staff's opinion. Stated in public is that really there are not enough detrimental impacts from the use of the pumps. This was at a Naples Improvement Association meeting earlier this spring. Mr. Sanchez led the presentation to the public that evening and made it clear that really the pumps aren't going to offer the same sort of marine life mortality as the plants generating system and once the cooling process might have in the past. I don't believe you need to settle for that kind of hairsplitting. I think it's a moral and ethical question that you need to think about the condition of our oceans. Commissioner. Commissioner. Ranga. Councilman Ranga understands that our ocean resources need to be protected. The City of Long Beach and your staff are making a decision that these new regulations, in the spirit of the law, maybe not the letter of the law, can be flaunted. And we're watching and we're waiting. And I look forward to more conversation with you. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilwoman Pryce.
Speaker 6: I just want. Is it okay if I ask staff some questions now, or would you like me to wait until after public comment? Sure.
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 1: Good evening, Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Council Member. Staff Jeremy Harris. Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce here before you to support the staff recommendation to move this memo you forward and on behalf of our leadership in our 1000 over 1000 members of the chamber. Yes. Has been an exemplary corporate citizen, many of them in the organization giving back to the community. This is also one of those few times that we stand with our our brothers in arms as far as on the building trade and laborers. You heard all of great statistics for job creation and the economic impact into the community. So we stand with them in supporting this project. And again, we ask that your recommendation to move this forward based on what staff is centered here for you tonight, a lot more public comments and testimony, of course, will come out on this project as their application moves forward in the process. So, again, we recommend you that you approve them or you tonight for your support. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Jeremy. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 8: Keating. Vice Mayor. Council Members. My name is Steven O'Kane. I'm with A.S., I'm the manager, sustainability and Vice President of Development and resident of District three in Belmont Park. I just wanted to make a couple of comments, perhaps provide some clarity on what the CMU is and what it is not, and respond to some of the comments you may have heard tonight. I think, first and foremost is that what this memo is not is an endorsement of any project in approval of any project. It is simply an agreement to work with. As for the demolition of the generating units that stand there today, that will in the future not be in use. It is not a it is not a endorsement of the project that is in front of the California Energy Commission and a separate project, which is also in front of city staff today. A battery energy storage project. Those two projects constitute what we would call the modernization of that facility two independent projects about the energy storage project and the Thermal Generation Project, which are much smaller than the facility is today. And some of that detail has been released to the public and provided to the Energy Commission. So there is on record what those projects look like. They will be much smaller. We have enough land to move forward with those projects and therefore there is really nothing that would require us to remove the existing generation. And we've made many commitments to the public, shown some very impactful and dramatic renderings of what it will look like without those stacks and boilers on Studebaker Road. And we want to we want to memorialize that commitment, which is why we're seeking this view with the city of Long Beach. There are many things to analyze as we go forward. Certainly you've heard about pumps and cooling water. That's a big part of that once you cooling plant. There's many other environmental impacts that still have to be addressed and assessed and many more places where the city may get involved and look for other areas where we we may need to to work with the city in terms of traffic mitigation, noise, lighting, all of those areas of of any projects assessment that needs to be addressed. So tonight, urge you to approve that menu. And it's simply an agreement for as to to remove the existing stacks and boilers once they're no longer in use and does not constitute a an endorsement of anything else nor a commitment to do anything with pumps or any other aspect of the project. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilwoman Price.
Speaker 6: Thank you. I do have a couple of follow up questions. But in regards to the public comment and based on my understanding of the reading of the memo, you I'm going to ask my colleagues to support me in moving this item forward. I've read the memo you prior to today and and just a moment ago, I believe that the memo used solidifies a commitment to demolishing the stacks, which I am 100% in support of. And I believe that most of the residents in my district feel strongly that the removal of the stacks is going to have a positive impact on our community, especially visually and esthetically. The memo you language, since it's been referenced a few times, states as follows Subsequent to the execution of the memo you meaning the memo you that is the subject of tonight's agenda item. An additional memorandum of understanding will be developed to address the continued operation of Alamitos Bay pumps once they cease being used for cooling. The city desires to take ownership of the pumps as their continued operation is beneficial for water circulation and water quality in and around Alamitos Bay. This additional agreement will outline the role of ACE and their commitment to operate the pumps on behalf of the city as determined by the city through a series of studies regarding water quality and native plant and animal life. Throughout the transition of ownership and approval by appropriate permitting agencies. What is abundantly clear from reading this memo you is that any discussion of the pumps will occur subsequent to the execution of this MRU, that MRU will be developed through a series of studies, and I've just confirmed with staff that there will also be community outreach and discussions involved in that process. I'd like to ask the city attorney a question. Is there anything at all about this memo, you, based on your reading of it, that impacts the future discussions regarding the operation of the pumps?
Speaker 8: There does not include any discussion of the pumps in the existing memo that are the is Emil use before you this evening. Okay.
Speaker 6: I will highlight to my colleagues that I receive regular briefings from the city manager's office directly from Mr. Sanchez regarding the pump issue and all of the studies and the expertize that has been retained and will continue to be retained in regards to this potential item. And maybe, Mr. Sanchez, just for clarification, this discussion of pumps down the road. If, in fact, we were going to explore the idea of continuing the pumps, that would be for the benefit of the city, not a yes. Correct?
Speaker 0: Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6: To help our water quality in the.
Speaker 8: Bay and the animal and plant life as well.
Speaker 0: Right.
Speaker 6: I know that it wouldn't be part of the operation for a yes, because they would no longer be using the pumps for their operations, correct?
Speaker 8: Correct.
Speaker 6: Okay. And just to be clear, so that we're all on the same page. The city is not going to somehow continue the operation of the pumps without notifying this body and going through the outreach process that we've discussed. Absolutely not. That's not hidden somewhere in the memo language, is it? No, because I want to be very clear that that's a discussion that we all want to be at the table.
Speaker 0: Absolutely.
Speaker 6: Thank you. I have nothing further.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilwoman Pryce. There's been a motion and a second. Members, please. Council Member Super.
Speaker 1: I just want to clarify with staff, are there any cost factors involved with this email you.
Speaker 8: Only to a yes, as they will be required to compensate the city for all the appropriate permit approval processes.
Speaker 1: Okay. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Members, cast your vote.
Speaker 0: Motion carries.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Next item, please. Item 16.
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a Memorandum of Understanding, and any subsequent amendments, between the City of Long Beach and AES Southland detailing the City’s agreement to process permits consistent with the Long Beach Municipal Code and procedures.  (Citywide)