Bodek staff cancels meetings

LBDS Staff sends out email blast canceling controversial private "focus groups" 

A Long Beach Development Services (LBDS) staffer sent out a mass email to invitees of the planned seven focus groups on the high density LUE place-type maps late Tuesday October 3rd.

In the email (full text at the end of the post) the LBDS staffer cites the following reason :

"Unfortunately, due to capacity at our reserved venues, we will not be able to accommodate these focus groups and they have been cancelled".

The reason for canceling the seven focus groups emailed by the staffer over "capacity" seems in direct contradiction with the staffer who originally sent out the invitations late Friday afternoon.

When one of the invitees accepted the initial invitation and asked how many people could be expected at the "focus group" an email with the confirmation  and an answer by the LBSD staffer that the size of the 'focus groups" was to be 5 people:

We have set these up as smaller focus groups to complement the larger outreach events taking place in the coming weeks. We invited anyone who gave public testimony at Planning Commission or who wrote the Commission a letter in recent months who has not already participated in giving in-depth feedback that we are aware of.  We did similar types of focus groups back in the spring and found that more than 6 people became too large for a more in-depth conversation. Therefore, we plan to cap attendance at 5 people and will set up additional dates/times if needed.

Best,

Alison

The conflicting information that only 5 people would be at

Bodek describes "invisible government"

each 'focus group" and then that the "focus groups" were being cancelled  because of the "capacity" of the venues is troubling and just the latest questionable "information" and statements from the Long Beach Development Services under the leadership of Director Amy Bodek and her campaign for "invisible government".

For information on what Bodek refers to as her pro-developer "invisible government" click on the following link and scroll down to Bodek : 
Bodek's invisible government

More troubling is the focus group math. 

With seven "focus groups" of 5 people- the "focus groups" amount to 35 people representing a city of over 450,000. Compare those 35 to the hundreds of people (mostly against the LUE Place-type maps) who attended the first outreach meeting last Saturday at Victory Park mandated by the Planning Commission and backed-up by Mayor Garcia-plus the hundreds more expected at the next three outreach meetings.

The purpose and how the information from the now cancelled focus groups was to be used remains a mystery.  

The Planning Commission had given Bodek's staff direction to reach out to the Neighborhood Associations. Bodek resisted:
 Commissioner Templin:

"I also would like very much to see better outreach, that, that if there are bounced emails and there are no longer associations that are viable, they are taken off the list, and the ones that are viable, that they are included in that outreach is brought up to current standards, so that there is more, or better outreach [interrupted by Amy Bodek]..."

Director Bodek:

"...I do just want to point out that we do not rely exclusively on defined neighborhood organizations."

-Exchange over engaging neighborhood associations 8/17/17

Apparently 5 people in seven small focus groups is what  Bodek and her staff were preparing to rely on. 

Too bad the library meeting room venues were too small.

LBDS email sent today:

From: Christopher Koontz < >
To: Christopher Koontz <
Sent: Tue, Oct 3, 2017 2:14 pm
Subject: Land Use Element Focus Groups

Good afternoon,

I want to thank you all for your interest in the City’s Land Use Element. I know you have been working with Alison Spindler on scheduling a time to attend a focus group to hear more of your input and suggestions. Unfortunately, due to capacity at our reserved venues, we will not be able to accommodate these focus groups and they have been cancelled. We still want to hear your input and I want to remind you of the three upcoming workshops:

Wednesday, October 4, 6-8 PM at Whaley Park Community Center
5620 E Atherton St, Long Beach, CA 90815 (map)

Saturday, October 14, 11-1 PM at Best Western Golden Sails Hotel
6285 Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90803 (map)

Wednesday, October 18, 6-8 PM at Expo Arts Center
4321 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807 (map)

These upcoming workshops are all able to accommodate larger crowds, which we were fortunate to receive this past weekend and hope to continue welcoming. In addition, I do welcome you to review all the materials at www.longbeach.gov/lueude2040 and provide us email comments in addition to attending the workshops. We forward all written feedback to the Planning Commission.

Thank you again and have a wonderful afternoon,

Christopher Koontz, AICP

Advance Planning Officer

Long Beach Development Services I Planning Bureau

For more information CLICK ON:

More "invisible government" from Long Beach Development Services