In response to my constituents concerns about the process used to make certain groups wanting to use Long Beach parks and facilities have obtained a permit from the City's Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, I put an item on the agenda last Tuesday to help "beef" up the process and to recoup some fees for policing and cleaning up after these groups use the parks.
Apparently some in the news media and the public didn't know that permits have been a requirement for many, years..and view the council agenda item as adding new laws.
(Please spare me the grandstanding on the right to assembly -- this isn't about restricting assembly -- just letting the police and parks know what is going on especially since they have to do the clean up when things go wrong with group activities.)
Permits have been used for many years in order to control crowding and at one time were used to alert Park Rangers so they could police the parks.
Since we don't have Park Rangers any more, the LB Police need to be brought into the process and be made aware that large groups will be at the park at a certain time.
The other problem is that while every resident of Long Beach receives a bulletin from the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department that includes a notice about the need to obtain a permit, many people from out of area do not receive this information. So I suggested that we post signs -- not all over the parks -- but perhaps below the signage for Park Watch which is all over the parks.
I also suggested we look at some type of fee increase or security deposit because it is costing the city a fortune to continually clean up after these groups...and if the police are called because of noise or other problems (i.e. shootings) then the group should have to forfeit the deposit.
Hey, if y'all have a good idea on how we can make certain we know what is going on in our parks and that we recoup the costs for clean up and policing these parks, then send them in to me at: district5@longbeach.gov.
