Surf Camp Permit Policy Moves Forward with No Vote from Beach Commission

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will soon vote on a revised policy for determining who gets to use beach and public areas of Marina del Rey for camps and other organized activities without the benefit of a recommendation from the Beach Commission.

The 20-member commission failed to meet quorum Wednesday morning and could not vote on the plan.

Among the proposed modifications are an increase in the permit application fee, a new requirement for advanced payment, increased safety standards for camp operators and a new bidding element for desirable locations.

The new policy also would increase the county's share of operators’ gross receipts from 10 percent to 15 percent. This amount could be increased, said Santos H. Kreimann, director of the county's Department of Beaches and Harbors.

If approved, the new permit policy would go into effect in time for summer 2012.

The department wants to update a policy in place since 1984 that has allowed permits to be renewed to program operators as long as they remained in good standing. Anyone wanting to break into the system has been put on a waiting list that sometimes has kept operators waiting for years for a permit.

The Beach Commission first heard of the proposed changes in March and the Department of Beaches and Harbors held a workshop in April with beach operators to gain feedback.

The matter was further discussed later that same month at a Beach Commission meeting featuring public comments from beach camp and surfing school operators with several asking for another workshop and more discussion before moving forward with any changes.

Several Beach Commission members at Wednesday’s meeting said they favored holding another workshop, and they started holding a mock vote before stopping. Kreimann briefly huddled with county counsel, and then told the audience of roughly 45 people the commission couldn't vote due to its lack of quorum. He said his department would send the revised policy to the Board of Supervisors since the Beach Commission only has an advisory role and time was of the essence.

"I'm a little shell-shocked and confused right now," said Chris Brown, who operates Camp Surf in Manhattan Beach. "We'll see what happens."

Brown said a coalition of permit holders made many concessions to the county and were lead to believe there would be give-and-take on both sides.

"We just got hit with some stuff that seems like it's out of left field," Brown said.

He said the new policy calls for operators to pay 15 percent of their gross receipts to the county with 75 percent of payment due no later than five business days after the start of a camp or fitness training activity.

"If you think about it, not only does it not work for this business model, but it doesn't work for any business model," Brown said. "For a landlord to come up to you and say 'I need four months rent ahead of time,' how do you get that money? You can't, you're not getting paid until later. What are you supposed to do, go out and get a loan each year?"

In the past, operators have paid their percentage of gross receipts at the end of the permit season, Brown said.

Some operators also balked at new requirements that called for day camp instructors to be at least 18 years old, since some hire 16-year-old instructors for their beach camps.

"Things such as hiring only 18-year-olds cost money and things like ocean-certified lifeguards cost money,” said Jack Tingley, who operates Beach Sports surf camps in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Pacific Palisades. “On top of fees that are not capped, it becomes an uncertain financial future."

The new application process allows for applicants to bid for certain beach locations with a $100 minimum bid, and Tingley said there should be a cap on bidding to level the playing field.

"I think it's unwarranted," he said. "Each location was arrived at by chance. Would you rather have a Zuma location or a Redondo Beach location? You know what, that depends on where you live. A person who lives in Torrance doesn't want to go to Zuma to work. If it has to be done, it should be a set fee."

Tingley said he has been operating as a nonprofit for the past 15 years and hasn't been required to pay fees.

"We understand that we need to pay now and that's something we accept," he said.

The Department of Beaches and Harbor also revised the permit selection criteria after feedback from operators.