The City Council on Tuesday will discuss issues including a proposal to equalize park funding and programming across the city.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at City Hall. For those who cannot make it downtown in time, weekly council meetings are also televised live on Channel 3.

Here is a roundup of items on the agenda:

Park equity

Following the recent release of the Long Beach Municipal Band’s summer 2017 schedule, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez took to Facebook to share her disappointment with the lack of concerts in the 1st, 2nd, 7th and 9th council districts.

Now, three weeks later, she is introducing an item that would ask the city manager to work with the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department to compile a report on park programming, including hours and funding expended in each location, along with the criteria used to prioritize programming. The report would also include park participants by zip code, and a list of policies or processes that could be amended to create a more equitable distribution.

“We must take a deeper look at leveraging our limited city resources and community assets within our park system to ensure we that we obtain a fair and equitable system that guarantees every resident the same opportunities to thrive, regardless of zip code,” she wrote in a staff report on the item.

Long Beach is home to over 3,000 acres of park space spread across 162 parks, some two dozen community centers, six miles of beachfront and four community pools.

Councilmembers Dee Andrews, Roberto Uranga and Rex Richardson have signed onto support the item.

Senior meals program

Some officials would like to see a program for seniors named after Ruth Ricker, a local advocate and longtime resident who died two years ago.

In a staff report, Gonzalez said Ricker was instrumental in advocating for a permanent Senior Meal Program in city parks, and it was her insistence about older adults’ need for a hot meal and social activity that propelled it into existence.

After its establishment in 2005, however, the program suffered funding cuts in 2012 and had to sever services at the lowest attended locations: Cesar E. Chavez and Silverado parks. Programming at those two locations was restored this year after a request from council to do so.

In light of Ricker’s contributions, Gonzalez and Uranga, along with Mayor Robert Garcia, say she is worthy of recognition and remembrance.

“She was a true community leader who fought for the reinstatement of this program until her very last days,” Gonzalez wrote in a staff report.

Garage parking policies

Representatives in parking impacted districts, which include areas in downtown, Alamitos Beach and Belmont Shore, want to see if the city can ease the permitting process for garage expansion and retrofitting, as well as find a way to incentivize owners to bring their garages up to code for parking use.

In many instances, people use garages for storage rather than parking, forcing more cars onto the streets than there are spaces for. There are various reasons owners may opt not to park in their garages, including changes in car sizes, making the structures inaccessible for modern cars, the cost and difficulty to upgrade a garage, and the lack of enforcement for residents to use private garages and driveways, according to a staff report.

To try to remedy the problem and free up much needed parking, councilwomen Suzie Price, Jeannine Pearce and Lena Gonzalez want the council to support an item that seeks a report from the city manager detailing the current laws on the books with regard to residential parking requirements as well as some options for encouraging garage use, such as a community garage cleanup day.

If approved by council, a report would return in approximately 30 days.

For a full list of agenda items visit www.longbeach.legistar.com.