A new fence around a public library terrace in Long Beach, California, came with an eye-popping price tag: nearly $790,000.
That number becomes more interesting once you look at the actual fencing contract.
Public records obtained by NBC4 Investigates show the contractor hired to furnish and install the fence at the Billie Jean King Main Library was paid $418,563.20, leaving more than $371,000 of the city’s stated overall project cost attributable to expenses beyond the documented fence construction.
Long Beach officials say there is an explanation. The nearly $790,000 figure represents the “all-in” cost of the larger terrace project, including design, planning, permitting, technology, and other expenses.
The problem is that the records released so far do not fully itemize those additional costs. More records are coming.
The Fence Itself Cost $418,563
The construction records provide a fairly detailed picture of what taxpayers bought from Quality Fence Co.
The project called for approximately 261 feet of black wire-mesh fencing and eight swing gates around the library’s outdoor terrace. Sections of the fence reach 8 feet high, while the gates include features such as push bars and self-closing hydraulic hardware.
Posts were to be anchored in concrete, and mesh panels were welded to the posts without brackets “for extra security,” according to the contractor’s proposal. Prevailing wage rates were also included in the price.
Quality Fence’s original price was $398,168.
A May 5 change order added $20,395.20 after the city requested that 80 feet of 6-foot fencing be replaced with 8-foot fencing. The change included $395.20 to remove the shorter section and $20,000 for the labor and materials needed for the taller replacement.
Final documented fence construction cost: $418,563.20.
That is $371,436.80 less than the city’s cited total project cost of approximately $790,000.
Long Beach Says $790,000 Was Never Just the Price of a Fence
City Manager Tom Modica pushed back on the idea that taxpayers simply paid nearly $800,000 to put up fencing.
“When we report out on those costs, it’s an all-in cost, not just the construction cost,” Modica told NBC4 Investigates. “So it’s the design, the planning, the permitting, the technology, all those things get put into that cost.”
Mayor Rex Richardson also defended the project’s requirements.
“These are not normal fences you put up at your house,” Richardson said. “They have to be able to open up if there’s an emergency or a fire … We have to make sure that everything is safe and designed well.”
There is evidence supporting the city’s contention that this was conceived as a broader terrace project rather than simply a fencing purchase.
In March 2024, Long Beach sought a $723,000 appropriation specifically for the “design and construction of terrace improvement at the Billie Jean King Main Library.” The money was transferred from the General Fund Group to the Civic Center Fund Group in the Public Works Department.
The city’s own May announcement for the Children’s Terrace likewise describes the $723,000 as funding for the “design and construction of terrace improvements,” rather than the fence alone.
What the records currently do not show is an itemized accounting of how the remaining project money was spent.
NBC4 Investigates has requested those records, and the city says additional documents responsive to the request are expected by Oct. 30. There is currently no evidence that the $371,436.80 difference is missing or was improperly spent. The documentation released so far simply does not account for it line by line.
The Library Fence Wasn’t Separately Put Out to Bid
There is another wrinkle in the paper trail.
Long Beach did not conduct a separate competitive bidding process specifically for the Billie Jean King Main Library fence.
Instead, the city assigned the work to Paramount-based Quality Fence through an existing citywide agreement for fencing services.
That agreement did originate through a competitive process. Long Beach solicited bids for as-needed permanent and temporary fencing services in 2022, advertised the opportunity in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, notified 20 potential fencing contractors, and conducted outreach to local businesses.
Only one company submitted a bid: Quality Fence.
The company won the broader city contract, which Long Beach subsequently used to assign the $418,563 library job without holding another competition specifically for that project. The citywide agreement was later extended through December 2026 and increased by another $2 million.
Why Did Long Beach Build the Fence?
The fence was part of an effort to turn the library’s outdoor terrace back into a space for patrons, particularly children and families.
Long Beach says it tried outreach, services, and dedicated housing vouchers before construction, but the terrace continued generating frequent responses from outreach teams and Quality of Life officers.
According to the city, the library and surrounding area generated 592 calls for service and 99 arrests and citations between June 28, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2025.
The city officially reopened the area as the Children’s Terrace in May, describing it as a secure outdoor area for book sales, crafts, games, lunch programs, and other family activities.
There are also early signs that conditions at the library have changed.
From April through July 2026, compared with the same period in 2025, Long Beach says library code-of-conduct incidents fell 46%, from 84 to 45. Patron suspensions dropped 58%, from 67 to 28.
The city projects another financial benefit. Terrace maintenance costs are expected to decline from $165,000 to $95,000 in fiscal year 2027, a savings of approximately $70,000 per year. Officials say reduced power washing is one reason for the lower projected cost.
Long Beach’s proposed FY 2027 budget actually reflects that change, reducing landscaping expenses at the Billie Jean King Main Library because the fence has reduced the need for power washing.
The Price Is Drawing More Scrutiny as Long Beach Faces a $58 Million Deficit
The timing makes a nearly $790,000 project particularly noticeable.
Long Beach is trying to close a $58.2 million structural deficit in its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, according to the city’s budget proposal.
Library services are among the areas facing reductions. The proposed budget eliminates Monday hours at five neighborhood libraries and cuts positions and other expenses associated with those hours.
Residents have been urging city leaders to preserve library access.
“Please don’t cut our hours and don’t cut our employees,” resident Emily Quest told NBC4 Investigates. “We are not asking for a lot.”
The city’s own Homeless Services Advisory Committee has also questioned the terrace spending.
In a July 28 letter, the committee called the project an “anti-encampment fence” and argued that nearly $800,000 could have been directed toward shelter instead. The committee said that amount could have sheltered at least 10 people for a year.
Long Beach’s latest Point-in-Time Count identified 3,729 people experiencing homelessness, although the city says the number of people living unsheltered declined while the number staying in shelters increased. The city also says its shelter system added 164 beds during 2025.
The Next Records Could Answer the $371,000 Question
For now, two numbers are firmly documented.
Long Beach says the overall cost of the terrace project is approximately $790,000. Records released to NBC4 Investigates show $418,563.20 in work performed by the fencing contractor.
The remaining $371,436.80 is not necessarily unexplained spending. The city has identified categories where the money went, including design, planning, permitting, and technology. What has not yet been released is the documentation showing exactly how much went to each of those categories.
Those records matter because they can turn a broad explanation into an actual accounting.
Long Beach says it expects to finish producing additional records by Oct. 30. Once those documents are public, taxpayers should have a much clearer picture of what nearly $790,000 bought beyond 261 feet of fencing.