Inaccurate reports sparked a controversy last week when the county Board of Supervisors updated an unenforced 1970 ordinance banning certain ball-tossing activities on county beaches, but county officials say the reports were overblown.
By Megan Farmer / Special to The Malibu Times
There was an uproar from beachgoers last week when inaccurate reports stated that Frisbees and ball playing would be banned from all county beaches due to a new ordinance. In fact, the ordinance banning any ball-tossing activity on the beach or in the water had been in effect since 1970. Changes were made and approved to the ordinance last Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which now will permit other ball-playing activities in certain situations.
“The goal here in updating the ordinance was really to create new opportunities for people to play on the beach,” said Joel Bellman, Press Deputy to County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. “The old rules were unreasonable. It was too restrictive and hard to enforce. The new language provides a wider range of activities for people at the beach and actually loosens it up.”
Previously, the largely unenforced ordinance forbid beachgoers from engaging in any ball-throwing activity except for tossing inflated beach balls over 10 inches in diameter. The new changes, which take effect in one month, allow people to play with volleyballs and water polo balls also.
During the peak beach season, from Memorial Day until Labor day, the ordinance states, “It is unlawful for any person to cast, toss, throw, kick, or roll any ball, tube, or light object other than a beach ball or beach volleyball upon or over any beach…” with certain exceptions. These exceptions include obtaining a permit, playing in a “designated area” or playing with a water polo ball in the ocean.
However, in the offseason, from Labor Day until Memorial Day, the ball-playing restrictions are on hold and all ball-playing activities will be allowed, providing no beachgoers are endangered.
Local beaches that the new regulations will be enforced on include Surfrider, Dan Blocker, Point Dume, Zuma, Nicholas Canyon, Topanga, Will Rogers and Las Tunas.
The ordinance is essentially in place to protect sunbathers and others at the beach from soaring footballs, Frisbees and the like during peak summer months when beaches are most crowded, county officials said.
The “designated areas” where people can engage in ball-playing are somewhat loosely defined by the county. Although permits will be given for groups and tournaments at the beach, individuals who show up with a Frisbee will have to get permission from the fire chief or a lifeguard to use it.
“Lifeguards will have the power to designate where activities can be held, so a ‘designated area’ could be as simple as a lifeguard telling kids, ‘Don’t play over here, play over there,’” said Los Angeles County Spokeswoman Carol Baker.
If someone refuses to cooperate though, there will be a penalty to pay. Fines will be imposed for those who ignore the regulations or lifeguard’s request to play in a specific area. Ball-throwing is deemed an infraction, so the fine would be up to $100 for the first infraction, up to $200 for the second infraction and up to $500 for the 3rd infraction (within a year of the first).
The ordinance, which had been crafted in 1970, and updated once in the 1980s, was out of date and in need of amendments, according to Baker. The county needed to clarify that lifeguards are now officially part of the county fire department, Baker said. The ball-tossing clause was also inconsistent and overly restrictive, so it was updated along with a few other sections so it would be in place before summer.
“People were asking to play beach tennis and beach soccer, and we realized we didn’t really have a mechanism to provide that properly, so we updated the legal language to be more clear and provide a way for people to participate in recreational activities,” Baker said.
Another updated area of the ordinance that has received attention is the clause that states no holes deeper than 18 inches should be dug on the beach. The county’s explanation is that lifeguards are worried about hitting the deep holes while on their way to a rescue. Bellman recalled a time when a child buried himself up to his neck and nearly drowned when the tide came in.
“People are thinking ‘It’s the fun police out there, making sure no one has a good time’ but in reality, it’s the lifeguards’ obligation to keep people safe,” Bellman said.
Baker and Bellman both said that if beachgoers use their common sense and consideration then they should be able to enjoy the beach this year just as much as they have in years past.
To read the complete ordinance, go to: http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/65848.pdf.