LB considers delegating management of Veterans Field, stage
Published 8:48 pm Sunday, March 8, 2026
LONG BEACH — A proposed agreement between the Long Beach Merchants Association (LBMA) and the City of Long Beach could see the nonprofit take over managing a pair of city-owned facilities, including Veterans Field and its stage.
The potential arrangement, most recently discussed at a Long Beach City Council workshop on March 5, was initiated by Long Beach officials who said they see this as a way to lessen the workload of overstretched city employees. If approved, LBMA would be authorized to utilize Veterans Field, its stage and the smaller Mary Lou’s Stage at 3rd Street SW “for tourism-based events and activities” through June 2029.
Overseeing the management of these facilities, Long Beach Mayor Sue Svendsen said, “is more of a distraction than anything” for city employees.
“[This proposed arrangement] wasn’t at their request, it was at our request to save us time,” the mayor added.
According to a draft agreement presented to councilors, “Long Beach Merchants will be responsible for the booking of tourism-based events and activities; handling the booking and rental of the facilities to the public; retaining rental agreements and associated documentation; as well as maintaining the cleanliness of the interior the buildings and the exterior surrounding grounds following any events or activities that are held, excluding the buildings themselves.”
The city, in return, would receive “tourism support” that is generated by events or activities that are hosted by the merchants association. Long Beach “also agrees [LBMA] may charge a nominal fee for the booking and rental of these facilities” for the length of the contract.
Councilor Mark Perez expressed reservations about the agreement as written, saying the city should shorten the length of the agreement to just one year initially to see how the arrangement works out. He said he would also like provisions to be added that would allow the city to use the facilities as needed, as well as allow the city to override any denials issued by LBMA.
“It’s a city facility, it’s a public thing,” said Perez. “It should be available to any reasonable request, so you’re taking that control away from the facility.”
Perez also asked if the agreement would affect any city policies or procedures, such as changing the fee that is paid to use the stage at Veterans Field. Svendsen said the “nominal fee” that LBMA could charge is the same $100 per day fee that already exists for public use of that stage.
“It’s not an additional charge that [LBMA] would charge above that, it’s the regular fee,” said Svendsen. “That’s my understanding.”
The merchants, Svendsen added, “are not dying to take this over. It was a favor.” Most of the requests to use the stage at Veterans Field come from LBMA in the first place, she said.
Along with addressing other concerns raised by Perez, Svendsen said the city could adjust the initial agreement to just one year “to see if it works for both parties.”
Pickleball draws noise complaint
The council was also presented with a petition from three residents urging the city to take action to address pickleball-induced noise complaints in the Culbertson Park area, but neither councilors or nor city officials believe action is warranted.
“We’re supposed to be providing facilities so people can use them and encouraging their use,” said Perez. Addressing the petitioner’s concern that the noise could negatively affect property values, Perez said “these facilities have to go somewhere — and when you buy a house across the street from a playground, you’ve gotta expect some noise.”
The city first added pickleball lines to the tennis court at the park in 2018. Since then, most of the complaints about the noise and allegations that the city’s noise ordinance is being violated have come only recently from just one individual, according to Long Beach City Administrator David Glasson.
“We had told the person making the complaints that we’re going to treat it like any other noise complaint for the time being: we need data,” Glasson said. “And so she’s called once; a police officer went over…and sat in his car with it running and with the radio off to see what kind of noise makes it through the car.
“She noticed when the officer got there and came out and said ‘Well, they’re not noisy right now.’ So my guess is it’s probably not an issue.”
The city recently purchased quieter balls that it has made available for patrons of the court to use, he added.
Glasson also raised the issue with an attorney through the Washington Cities Insurance Authority and asked whether the city had any liability for a pickleball court that is located roughly 50 feet from a neighbor’s house. The attorney, Glasson recalled, said Long Beach had no reason to worry.