Encinitas Residents to Consider Tax for Beach Sand Replenishment

The Encinitas City Council has decided to place a measure on the November 2008 ballot which would require short term vacation renters to pay a 2% Transient Occupancy Tax designated for beach sand replenishment and stabilization projects. A similar proposition (Proposition G) was rejected on June 3, 2008 even though 65% of voters supported the measure (a 2/3 vote was required). Councilmembers Houlihan and Barth opposed the motion to place the measure on the ballot on the grounds that (a) Proposition G was rejected by the voters and (b) they believe additional time is needed to garner support for this new measure. However, Major Stocks and Councilmembers Gallagher and Bond supported the motion. A citizens committee was formed, which includes Mayor Stocks, Councilmember Galagher, Steve Aceti, and the Chairman of the Parks Commitee.

Groundbreaking Legislation Passed in California State Assembly

The California State Legislature today passed legislation aimed at greatly reducing the use of single-use plastic bags. The bill would require a 25 cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags at large grocery stores and pharmacies statewide, if a 70% reduction in bag usage is not achieved by the end of 2010. Similar fees in other countries have had extreme success, reducing bag use by upwards of 90%. Paper bags have been included in the fee provisions of the bill, further encouraging the use of reusable bags by shoppers. Surfrider Foundation supports the strengthening of the bill to include biodegradable bags in the bill as these bags do not decompose in the ocean and present the same hazards as other bags to marine life. The groundbreaking legislation, which can set a national precedent, now moves onto the California State Senate. Check these pages for further updates on the bill which is entitled AB 2058, Recycling: plastic carryout bags, paper carryout bags.

Save Trestles: It's Far from Over and WE NEED YOUR HELP

They are still coming after us. They want that Toll Road so that they
can build more sprawl in Orange County. I was at the Karl Strauss Beach
to Brewery Festival yesterday and got to speak to hundreds of folks
about Trestles. You'd be surprised at how many people said something to
the effect of "Trestles, I thought that was over and 'they' rejected
that." Ummmmm, no, it's not over people and as long as the TCA has
millions of dollars of cash in their coffers and the support of
spineless politicians, they'll keep fighting. They're appealing this
decision to the US Secretary of Commerce and are hoping that he will
overturn the California Coastal Commission. We need to let him know
that we do not want a toll road through a state park. Please help us by
taking a few minutes for this alert.

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tollroadappeal0408

Thanks much!

Johnny

Encinitas EAC report

The newly formed Encinitas Environmental Advisory Committee met tonight, 4/24/08. They completed the drafting of their mission statement and then moved on to a brainstorming session. There was discussion of several topics of interest to Surfrider, including watershed restoration, expanding marine protected areas, and addressing stormwater runoff and marine debris. The committee members will each select their top priority items to discuss further at the next meeting. The EAC also decided to hear presentations from various city departments at future meetings regarding environmental matters of interest to the committee.