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Council authorizes beach access control contract; city says seasonal passes unchanged, day visitors to receive wristbands
Summary
The council approved a resolution to contract with Yodle Pass for electronic beach pass access control. City staff said seasonal resident passes will remain barcoded and priced the same; day visitors will receive wristbands and all beach entrances will remain open.
The Long Beach City Council on April 1 authorized the city manager to enter into an agreement for beach access control services with Yodle Pass, the vendor that provided the system last year. City staff told the council the planned system will continue a barcoded seasonal pass for residents and will use wristbands for day visitors, with no change in pricing.
City staff described the change as an operational improvement that will allow the city to collect usage data, including when and where passes are used. That data collection was described during the meeting as a primary benefit of the new system because it will allow the city to better manage staffing and operations on busy days.
Members of the public asked about changes to beach entrances and how the booths would be sited. An audience member, Beth Sheppa, asked whether alterations would extend beyond the boardwalk; staff replied entrances on both the east and west ends will be repositioned so visitors pass the booths, but “there wouldn't be any closures of any of the accesses.” The city indicated some booths will be moved into switchbacks at boardwalk walkovers and that two booths near Pacific would be located to capture traffic heading left of the walkover and to nearby concessions.
The council and staff also discussed seasonal hiring for booth attendants. The city said hiring is open to the public — part-time, seasonal positions traditionally filled by veterans, retirees, teachers and others with summer availability — and that applications will be accepted in the recreation department.
On costs, staff said the city expects the new system and added staffing will be offset by increased beach revenue, but the exact net cost and a final accounting were not provided at the meeting. The resolution passed as part of the block vote approving items 1–10.
