City beach parking up 30%

Jenny Marder

City leaders will hike beach fees by 30% starting this spring, to

offset ongoing losses in state funds.

A day at the beach will cost $10 for parking starting April 1, up

from $7. Rates at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza have also jumped from

$9 to $12.

Annual beach fees will remain the same.

The City Council unanimously agreed to the increased fees without

discussion.

After receiving a cluster of e-mails from residents complaining

about overgrown grass and sand buildup at the city beaches, Mayor

Cathy Green said it was an easy decision.

“People were calling me and saying, the maintenance isn’t there,”

she said. “Unfortunately, you have to have the money to pay for the

services and the only way to do that is to raise the fees.”

It’s one of the steps the city is taking in anticipation of

additional budget cuts later this year, Community Services Director

Jim Engle said.

“This is a result of the impact we’ve had from the state on our

budget. The city cannot absorb further cuts,” Engle said. “We’re at a

point where any additional cuts will have a severe impact on our

operations.”

Higher parking fees will bring in an additional $700,000 a year --

$445,000 at the city beach and $250,000 from pier plaza.

Marine Safety Lt. Mike Beuerlein hopes the increase will allow

city beaches to maintain services rather than suffer further cuts.

City beaches cut back the hours of operation and reduced the

number of safety boats and the number of temporary bathrooms during

last year’s budget reductions. A marine safety lieutenant position

was also eliminated, Beuerlein said.

“We believe that we are at a bare bones operation and we would

certainly hope that we would not have to undergo any further

reductions,” he said.

The California State Parks Department has also nearly doubled its

day use fees for the Huntington and Bolsa Chica state beaches. The

daily cost, which jumped from $3 to $5 last year at Huntington and

Bolsa Chica State beaches, will go up to $12 on July 1. There will

also be a substantial increase in camping fees and annual passes.

City beach fees will be slightly lower than state fees during the

summer and higher throughout the rest of the year.

The state uses a sliding scale to set its park fees, in which

rates will vary during the on and off-seasons.

City Council members, however, approved a year-round flat fee for

the city beaches.

Beuerlein doesn’t think the fee increase will affect the number of

beach users.

“I think it’s consistent with what’s happening up and down the

coast,” he said. “ I have heard that parking fees are going up

everywhere up and down the coast.”

* JENNY MARDER covers City Hall. She can be reached at (714)

965-7173 or by e-mail at jenny.marder@latimes.com.