By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor

After a marathon meeting last week dealing with city employee contracts and approval of an airport parking garage, the City Council took a breath Tuesday to deal with routine matters.

The evening began with celebrations of female athletes — recognition of the Wilson High School girls soccer team’s national championship and the Poly High School girls basketball team’s CIF and state championships.

After a discussion about the potential for project-labor agreements (see story, Page 1A), the rest of the short meeting provided little controversy. Among the actions taken were:

• Accept a grant through the Southern California Association of Governments to study changes to land use regulations along the Long Beach Boulevard corridor.

• A recommendation to have the city attorney’s office review arguments against a proposed ordinance requiring records to be kept on ammunition sales before asking the council to approve that ordinance.

• A request for clarification of an ordinance requiring permits to individuals or organizations to paint house numbers on curbs for possible amendment. The primary question is whether the city’s Police Department or its Business License Division should be issuing permits.

• Authorization of settlement of several lawsuits, including one paying Long Beach Oil Development $573,601.

• Declaration of May 15 as a “Day of Action” advocation state budget support for quality public schools.

• Extension of the Belmont Shore news rack program for another year.

• Congratulation for the success of the 2008 Community Baby Shower provided donated material to expectant and new mothers.

There will be one more City Council meeting, on May 20, before the council takes two weeks off. In addition to the regularly scheduled dark Tuesday in the last week of the month, the June 3 council meeting will be cancelled due to the state primary election.