City Council Meeting 6-8-04 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Emergency
Ordinance Adding Section 4.08.025 to
the Santa Monica Municipal Code Requiring Permits for Large Group Use of Santa
Monica Beaches for Water Activities and Amending Section 4.08.020 to Update and
Clarify Its Provisions
Introduction
The attached
emergency ordinance would create and require a beach and water activity permit
for children’s groups similar to permits already required by Los Angeles
County. The Ordinance would also amend
and clarify a Municipal Code section relating to lifeguards’ authority. The ordinance is intended to preserve safety
and is presented to the City Council for adoption.
Background
Los Angeles
County lifeguards maintain water safety at the beach in Santa Monica. Municipal Code Section 4.08.020, adopted in
1974, gives lifeguards authority to preserve water safety. Recently, Los Angeles County representatives
expressed concern that group use of the beach by children’s camps, clubs,
schools, churches, and other groups, may threaten water safety. If two or more groups use the same area of
the beach at the same time, lifeguards may have difficulty keeping everyone
safe.
Los Angeles
County addresses this concern through a permitting system for beach and water
use by organized groups. County
lifeguards have asked the City to promptly establish a similar permitting
system. Their request for prompt action
is based on the fact that increasing numbers of large groups are coming to
Santa Monica because demand has made it difficult to get beach use permits in
Los Angeles.
Discussion
The attached
proposed emergency ordinance would establish a permit requirement for camps,
clubs, schools, churches, and other organized children’s groups using the beach
for water activities. A permit would
allow use in a designated area.
Designations would be based on current use patterns, surf and water
conditions, and the availability of lifeguard personnel. The Open Space Management Division of the
Community and Cultural Services Department would issue the permits on a first
come, first served basis for specified areas of the beach. A draft of the proposed permit application
form is attached.
Groups larger
than 150 people would be required to obtain a Community Events Permit and would
not need a beach/water activity permit.
As in Los Angeles, groups without permits would be asked by lifeguards
to relocate to another area of the beach or to return when the beach is less
crowded. Los Angeles reports that
enforcement of their permitting system is not a problem and that lifeguards are
uniformly successful in attaining voluntary compliance. If the ordinance is adopted, signage will be
posted to inform the public of the permit requirement and groups that
frequently use the beach will be notified.
The proposed
ordinance would also update and clarify Municipal Code Section 4.08.020 to
reflect the facts that some lifeguards are female and to clarify that lifeguards
are empowered to preserve water and beach safety.
The ordinance is
being presented as an emergency ordinance so that the permitting system, which
will help lifeguards preserve water safety, can be in place before the start of
the busy summer beach season.
Financial/Budget Impact
The proposed
ordinance would have minimal impact.
The City could charge a fee to defray the cost of processing permit
applications.
Recommendation
It is respectfully recommended that the accompanying
emergency ordinance be adopted.
PREPARED BY: Marsha Jones Moutrie, City Attorney
Barbara Stinchfield, Director of Community and Cultural Services
Elaine Polachek, Open Space Manager
Trinie Garcia-Valdez, Community Use Administrator
ATTACHMENT: Proposed, Emergency Ordinance