Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske's Accomplishments

We all know that we will most likely not find a harder working councilmember, than 5th District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske. Since her election in 2006, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has worked tirelessly on behalf of the taxpayers to bring openness in government and fiscal accountability.

• She has worked to build neighborhood organizations and improve public safety.
• She has found solutions to fix our sidewalks that are now used city-wide because of their efficiency and cost-savings.
• She has brought people together to make our environment cleaner and our community more aware.
• Gerrie Schipske doesn't give up. She stays with a problem or project as long as it takes to resolve it successfully.

Gerrie's Council Work

 Here is just a sample of the work Gerrie Schipske has done while on City Council these past three years:

• She authored the first legislation in Long Beach to prevent out-going elected officials from destroying their public records.

• She is the first city councilmember to have a blog which she uses to communicate with residents on a daily basis. (www.gerrieschipske.com)
• She was the first and now one of only three councilmembers to post their official schedule on line.
• She started the Long Beach Library Round-Up which annually "rounds up" spare change from local businesses and donates it to the Friends of the Long Beach Libraries to buy materials at both El Dorado and Bach branches.
  

• She is the first and only councilmember to have an on-line service request form that allows residents to fill out and get a response within 24 hours. (www.lbdistrict5.com)

• She started "Wake-Up Long Beach" which is a monthly breakfast which brings together residents, the news media and prominent people to discuss the issues facing the City of Long Beach.

• She established several citizen taskforces to work on issues facing the 5th Council District and the City:

• Solar and Sustainability Taskforce
• Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands Taskforce
• Good Neighbor Network (focuses on emergency preparedness)
• Library Taskforce
• Small Business Advisory Taskforce
  
• Rosie the Riveter Park Taskforce
• 5th District Infrastructure Advisory Committee
  

• She authored legislation to dedicate the park space at Conant and Clark as "Rosie the Riveter Park" in honor of the tens of thousands of women who worked at the adjacent Douglas Aircraft Plant during World War II.

• She proposed the charter amendment which places parks in perpetuity and requires approval by voters for any sale and a replacement on a 2-for-1 basis.

• She authored legislation to dedicate the park space at Studebaker and Barrios as "Good Neighbor Park" and worked with the city to provide benches, lights and a gazebo.

• She initiated the 5th Council District Annual Good Neighbor Festival and Picnic which honors the youth, adults and organizations who are "good neighbors."

• She initiated the city's first "Solar Conference and Tour" which for two years has attracted many to attend workshops and on-site tours and see first-hand how solar energy can save the environment and money. She is sponsoring the First Annual Solar Grand Prix to involve more than 260 students in building and racing solar cars.

• She worked with residents of the Rancho homes to successfully pass a prohibition on building second stories or demolishing these historical homes.

• She worked with residents to amend law to stop working people from getting tickets because they parked their trucks on residential streets.

• She held community meetings and then worked with residents to craft law to deal with the owners of vicious dogs.

• And much, much more...

Gerrie's Community Work

• She founded www.rxforlongbeach.com a website that gives Long Beach residents access to free and low cost prescription medicine.
• She founded the Community Baby Shower to provide a basic take-home- from-the-hospital kit for low-income mothers. The kits are funded through businesses and and other donors.
• She founded Long Beach Cares, a non-profit organization which raises funds to assist public health programs.
• She founded the Long Beach Police Chief's Women's Advisory Committee that works with the Police Department on issues impacting women and children.
• She founded The Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Foundation which is dedicated to funding and maintaining a historical park and memorial focused on the contribution of the tens of thousands of women who worked at Douglas Aircraft during World War II. 

 Streets, Sidewalks, Trees