C-16 Correspondence – Ann Cantrell
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:23 AM
To: Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]> Subject: Consent Calendar Items 4/5/22
-EXTERNAL-
To: Long Beach City Council
Re: Consent Calendar Items C-16, C-17, C-18, C-19
Dear Decision Makers:
We are requesting that Consent Calendar Items 16, 17, 18, and 19 be removed from the Consent Calendar for discussion and special action.
Item 16 allows a fee waiver of $8,250. Items 17, 18, and 19, fee waivers of $5,000 each for a $23,750 total loss of revenue for the City. As I tax payer, I expect the members of these private yacht clubs to pay for the privilege of using public docks.
We regularly attend the Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. There are always 5-10 Fee Waivers on the agenda and most of them are approved. I have never understood this process. While most of the requests are for good causes, why set fees for private use of public facilities and then allowed certain organizations free use? These lost fees could be used to revive the Park Rangers and other needed park programs.
We are especially concerned about the Navy Yacht Club’s waiver for the July 3 Big Bang on the Bay fireworks event. These docks are at the end of Oil Dock Road and very close to nesting shore birds. We stood under those trees with blankets to catch falling baby herons and egrets while the area shook with the noise of explosions. There is currently a law suit against the promoter of the Big Bang event charging the lack of needed permits and pollution of waters in the bay. This damaging event needs to be stopped, not encouraged with fee waivers.
Thank you for your consideration.
Ann Cantrell and Anna Christensen, co-chairs,
Sierra Club Los Cerritos Wetlands Task Force