Auditor’s Report Notes That Failure To Implement Recommendations Puts City At Risk

Long Beach City Auditor Laura Doud’s office today released a report highlighting successes and shortfalls in city departments’ implementation of her recommendations made between 2010 and 2017. “As this decade comes to a close, it is an opportune time to evaluate the outcomes and overall impact of our recommendations,” Doud said. “We make detailed, solution-driven recommendations aligned with departments’ objectives so that city operations best meet the needs of the public.” In the report, Doud noted that a majority (66%) of her recommendations to city departments have been implemented. Departments were especially active in the areas of contract procurement and management, revenue and cash controls, and personnel management. However, there’s still room for improvement, a press release noted. Departments failed to implement a majority of recommendations in the areas of fraud prevention and performance tracking, and implemented only 50% of the auditor’s recommendations on data integrity. Failure to heed her office’s calls for improvement comes at a price, according to Doud. “By not taking corrective action, the City is at risk for fraud and waste,” she noted. “We will continue to identify issues and make comprehensive recommendations, especially in the areas of high risk, so the departments can continue to build on progress made.”

Harbor Commission Appoints New Director Of Government Affairs

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has appointed Eleanor Torres as the director of government affairs for the Port of Long Beach. In her new role, Torres will represent the port in communications with the federal, state and local governments. She will also oversee the port’s legislative advocacy efforts. For the last 12 years, Torres served as director of public affairs for the Orange County Water District. Prior to her work in Orange County, Torres spent 10 years working for the state legislature, including serving as district director of then-Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer. Torres holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Smith College in Massachusetts.

Long Beach Airport Launches New Website

Long Beach Airport (LGB) has launched a new website that displays commonly searched travel information such as flight status, ground transportation and parking rates, as well as shopping and dining options, more prominently. “This update will make the Long Beach Airport’s website much more user-friendly and easier for customers,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. The new site was designed to be responsive, making it easier to navigate, including on mobile devices, a press release stated. Visitors to the site are now able to search for arrival and departure information by origin of the flight, the airline or the flight number. “It is extremely important for the community to have access to real-time airport information,” Airport Director Cynthia Guidry stated. “Long Beach Airport is proud to unveil our redesigned website, which has many new features that will be extremely useful.” Other new features include a searchable map of local hotels, dining options and other locations of interest, according to the press release. It also features an interactive flight tracker. Following the redesign, information on the website can now be displayed in English, Filipino, Khmer and Spanish.