The City Council considered an initiative Tuesday night to provide free sunscreen at stations throughout the city.
The council came close to approving a three-month pilot program, but stopped short over details relating to the sunscreen.
The idea was brought by the Parks and Recreation Commission and was spearheaded by Commissioner Janet Jones.
“The Commission proposed the sunscreen dispensers, citing the public health issue of skin cancer which affects as many as 20 percent of Americans,” staff wrote in its report to the council. “Further, the Commission noted many benefits to the community, including: positive media attention for downtown businesses and providing a valuable resource to residents and visitors to the City of Manhattan Beach.”
Three different companies which are used by three different cities were considered. They included Bright Guard, which is used in Boston; Sun Shield, which was used in Malibu and at events within Manhattan Beach such as the Farmers Market; and Miami Beach Suncare, which is used in Miami Beach, Florida. The Florida initiative, which began in April 2015, was the first such project in the U.S., according to the staff report.
Miami Beach Suncare was almost chosen due to the fact that the dispensers don’t require batteries and the sunscreen was the least expensive at $68 per gallon.
However, Councilmember Wayne Powell said a prominent dermatologist had emailed the council advising them not to select anything with certain ingredients that have been found to be carcinogenic.
The council asked staff to verify that Miami Beach Suncare product didn’t contain the carcinogens and if it did, if a different product could be substituted.
“The number one concern is that we have the right sunscreen,” said Councilmember Mark Burton. “If we’re getting this sunscreen, it’s counterintuitive because it’s not preventing cancer.”
The council also discussed the possible cost of the program
For the pilot program, two sponsors, Kaiser Permanente and the Ablon Skin Institute, agreed to pay a total of $7,500 for five dispensers at the pier comfort station, the base of the pier, the Tot Lot at Live Oak Park, Polliwog Park and Marine Avenue Park, in return for advertising on the dispensers.
Parks and Recreation Director Mark Leyman said that he thought the city would be able to continue to find sponsors.
Councilmember Amy Howorth said that even if the city had to pay for the program, she would support spending the approximately $30,000 necessary.
Council asked staff to return with the requested information quickly to get the pilot running by summer.
Southern California Edison responds to outages
Power outages happened more frequently and lasted longer in Manhattan Beach last year than the average of the 15 cities that comprise Southern California Edison’s South Bay district, a representative from the company told the council during a report Tuesday night.
“We’re not imagining issues with power reliability,” said Councilmember David Lesser.
On average, outages lasted over three hours.
About half of the outages were due to equipment failure, District Manager Paul Hennessy said. The other half was due to things like weather and third parties.
Councilmember Wayne Powell pointed out that the city had included a line in its budget for an uninterrupted power supply due to the severity of the outages, which particularly affected downtown businesses and residents last year.
“When the power goes out, traffic signals go out,” said Powell. “It’s a safety issue. It’s costing taxpayers money.”
Mayor Tony D’Errico asked when the city would “get to 100 percent reliability.”
“I hear from residents all the time: They feel like they’re living in a third world country,” said D’Errico.
In five to 10 years, said Hennessy.
“It could be sooner,” he added, saying that the company would begin some “large scale projects” in the next couple of years.
Hennessy also responded to a comment by El Porto resident Bob Sievers earlier in the meeting over the proximity of a power line to his balcony.
“That’s a very dangerous situation,” said Hennessy. “I would encourage anybody who has that issue to call.”
People shouldn’t be within 10 feet of an electrical wire, he said.
Redesign of Peck Reservoir approved for over $1 million
The council approved a proposal by a company to design a new Peck Reservoir for under $1.4 million.
The current water reservoir, located next to Polliwog Park, was built in 1957 and “has exceeded its useful life,” staff said in a report.
Water imported by the city from the Metropolitan Water District and drawn from its two wells is mixed in the reservoir before going to the public in order to maintain high water quality.
The possibility of opening up more space by placing the reservoir deeper into the ground was floated by the firm chosen, MWH Americas. The new ground could be used for things like open space, tennis courts or a community center, MWH Project Manager Miko Aivazian said.
The council seemed interested in this possibility, although Mayor Tony D’Errico said they should take into account potential ongoing maintenance costs, in addition to the extra one-time cost of the design. MWH will conduct outreach meetings during which the public will be invited to give its feedback on the possibilities.
Because the city has other reservoirs, water service won’t be affected during the 15 months estimated to complete the project, Public Works Director Tony Olmos said.
Construction would start at the end of 2017, MWH projected in its proposal. ER
