10:25am | The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday night unanimously passed an ordinance that will add video surveillance cameras to North Long Beach areas, and another that will eliminate the City’s former policy of requiring mandatory bicycle registration.

The video surveillance cameras item is one of the fast-tracked projects that have received priority in recent weeks as the City looks to award project contracts with Redevelopment Agency money. Governor Jerry Brown has proposed eliminating local RDAs across the state, provoking them to scramble and spend their funds.

The council last night approved a contract with CelPlan Technologies to design, deliver and install outdoor surveillance cameras in locations determined by the Long Beach Police Department – likely a mixture of light poles, traffic signals and buildings in order to prevent and discourage crime.

The project will not cost more than $400,000, according to Department of Development Services documents. Construction is expected to begin this month and take no more than 60 days to complete.

The City Council also unanimously voted to cease its practice of enforcing mandatory bicycle registrations, a policy which came under fire in late 2010 as fines could cost several hundred dollars and Long Beach seemed to be the last city standing with such a policy.

Police handed out 1,035 citations for lack of bicycle registration in 2010. For a city making efforts to bill itself as the Most Bicycle-Friendly in America, it became of point of contention. The motion was originally proposed in December by Councilmember Robert Garcia, and the Council then asked City Manager Pat West to return with a report.

On Tuesday, West indicated to the City Council that his staff is working on a revised policy that will allow owners to register their bicycles voluntarily through the National Bike Registry at no cost. They will also begin an educational campaign to alert residents of the changes. West said that the Police Department is on board with the amendment.

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