Commissioners Peaches on the Beaches

Santa Barbara County beach goers owe a big thank you to our County Parks commissioners for the manner in which they handled the recent public hearings on beach parking (access) fees. I thought Commission Chair Dale, in particular, handled her role with patience and poise as the misdirected ire of many speakers came her way. We need to remember that the Parks Commission was neither the origin or the ultimate decision-maker on this unpopular proposal. Many thanks to the commissioners from a very grateful public that will benefit from your decision not to support beach parking fees. Clearly , now the Board of Supervisors should heed public sentiment and scuttle this recurrent proposal.

Santa Barbara City and County bureaucrats would do us all a service to learn from this experience. Looking to the future, our public servants should be making it easier to get to the beach , not harder.