(Oct. 6, 2008) -- The Long Beach Parks Recreation and Marine Department [PRM] has chosen to ignore and overrule the decision of its own "Marine Advisory Commission" [MAC] in bringing to the Council Tuesday, October 7th a proposal to put advertising on the beaches of our City. (Item #27)

The Marine Advisory Commission had lengthy and heated discussions of the so-called "Green Bins" proposal at two meetings which took place this past March and April - with one commissioner saying he is "tired of seeing advertising everywhere". Meeting Minutes (copied below) further quote Commissioner Reed as saying "He sees this as beach spam, and feels the beach is the only place to go where there is no advertising." Another Commissioner referred to the bins as "billboard beach spam".

Large bin

Smaller bin

Exhibits from city management agendizing memo

The largest bins will be on 6 feet long by 3 feet high and 3 feet deep -- making pretty good advertising billboards along most of our currently advertising free beaches.

The MAC tried four separate motions to approve the "Green Bin" proposal -- three of them failed. The only motion that passed required a "one-year buyout option." -- but the Parks Department is ignoring that requirement.

But J.C. Squires, Manager of Business Operations for PRM, has stated that "There is no buyout option in the agreement."

What's before the Council is a commitment to a 5- year contract.

The MAC had many concerns in addition to the advertising "beach spam." Commissioners worried that there was no bid process, no request for proposals; Marine Safety officers said the large bins could pose a desirable windbreak for transients looking for a place to sleep, and another large object for 'taggers' to draw on; another officer said "from a vehicle safety standpoint Lifeguards are always concerned about kids darting out from behind trashcans."

Several commissioners asked for but were denied a pilot program with a few bins to see how they work.

No presentation or community meeting has been made to Belmont Shore residents -- few residents know about the program or what the bins will look like. We thought there would be a community meeting and presentation before this went to Council, but that has not happened.

Peninsula residents did have a city presentation of the "green bins" -- and apparently didn't like what they saw because the Peninsula has opted out of the program. So the one-mile stretch of beach from Bayshore to the end of the Peninsula will be advertising free. Belmont Shore and other affected areas have been allowed no such option, if the Council approves the proposal we will be stuck with these advertising bins for five years...

[I]t's highly questionable as to how much acceptable recycling items will be obtained. Recycling centers only take cans, plastic or glass bottles, and plastics marked 1-7. They don't want styrofoam cups or plates or fast-food containers or any food-stained items. With our current economic downturn -- people take almost any item that can be recycled and turn it in for its five or ten cents redemption value. I'm at the beach often, and almost never see recyclables.

As those of us who take part in beach clean-ups know -- cigarette butts, bits of Styrofoam and paper, and just bits of trash are the main problem at our beaches.

With the Marine Advisory Commission's requirements being bypassed and ignored, and the Sustainability Commission only allowed to act on the "recycling" aspect of the proposal,

I urge the Council to send this proposal to a Council Committee for further study -- before taking action.