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Beach Management Advisory Committee
Land Bank Conference Room
17 July 2008
4:00 pm
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Mrs. Beck convened the meeting at 4:15 pm. She stated that the Committee asked for the Police to
come first to discuss the lack of control of unruly beachgoers at Nobadeer Beach on the July 4 holiday.
Chief Pittman introduced his colleague, Lieutenant Angus MacVicar, who is in charge of scheduling all
the police patrols and shifts for the department. He described the Department's need for a more
effective plan for the Fireworks and holiday traffic at Jetties beach this year. Concentrating on that
issue, the scheduler allocated only one patrol officer at the South Shore but kept more at 40th Pole,
which in the past has had crowds and disturbances. The Department focuses its attention on the busy
areas.
Ironically, with the erosion of the beaches at Madaket and Cisco, many more people than expected
arrived at Nobadeer and in many cases scattered trash, drank alcohol, and used the dunes for toilets.
While the ATV patrol reported only many families barbecuing, many people were upset by the bad
behavior, left the beach, and phoned the Police, the Beach Manager, and neighbors about the situation.
Both the Committee and the Police agreed that beach preferences change each year; the Chief and
Lieutenant MacVicar guaranteed the scheduling next year would take into consideration the crowds at
Surfside and Nobadeer. At 40th Pole they did note fewer beachgoers and less trash.
The Chief remarked that a heavy-handed enforcement would not curb misbehavior, for the offenders
would just move, as they already do, to another site. If cars were forbidden to park on certain areas of
beaches, those spaces would be taken up by people. He also reminded the Committee that
enforcement must be fair to different styles of partying; the police focus should be on disorderly
conduct. The underage drinking issue will in time change; it is a cultural way of thinking that currently
exists but will not be tolerated in the future, two to three years from now. As to trash and bathroom
needs, he suggested dumpsters and porta-potties. Mr. Dickson advised "sturdy porta-potties."
There are also access control difficulties for many beaches, especially on hot spot weekends, the Chief
stated. Because the beach crowds are so large, the patrols cannot carve a direct path from one beach to
another. They must go up to the beach accesses to get by road from Nobadeer to Surfside Public Beach
and west of that. It takes 45 minutes to make that trip each way on the ATV's. While the new plan for
the Jetties worked well, the Department must now make a new plan for the whole island on the 4th of
July. The Department is trying to take a whole new way of looking at all situations, especially the party
areas. It needs to spend its budget on on-going specific issues rather than on a random event.
Mrs. Newton asked how order can be established on the beach. How would an EMT get to the beach at
Surfside? The Chief assured her not to worry. The unruly behavior will not happen again. This type of
hot spot is rather small and can be brought under control. Whether trying to control the capacity on a
beach of cars or people, you would need a staff that does not exist and is too expensive for a limited
budget.
Mrs. Beck promised that BMAC would look further into the trash and security concerns with the Beach
Manager, the DPW, and the Airport to see what they can do. The Chief added that the ATV officers now
carry and offer trash bags and that people know to ask for them. Mr. Dickson thanked the officers for
coming and for reassuring the Committee about monitoring future beach crowd behavior.
Mrs. Beck next addressed some issues for future meetings. While BMAC is scheduled already for a
meeting on August 21, there seems to be a number of topics which should be addressed before that
date. The Annual Report is due on August 15 at the Town Manager's Office. A rough draft has been
circulated to the members and needs review or additions as soon as possible. The DPW and Airport
should be contacted for discussions about beach operations regarding trash pick-up, dune pollution, and
security. The members suggested a meeting be scheduled for July 31 to begin to take care of these
items.
Mrs. Beck reported that the Beach Manager has approved a Footprints Only Foundation plan for daily
trash patrol on the South Shore beaches. The plan, monitored by Glenn and Judi Stewart of Surfside,
Directors of the Foundation, will make sure the trash is recycled and then picked up by their scavenger
company.
Mr. Carlson reported that beach operations are running well despite the 4th of July incidents, that the
Madaket lifeguards are moving between two beach sites as the public occupies the one at the end of the
Madaket Road until the high tide obscures it or the other down at Massachusetts Avenue, that those
lifeguards have red-flagged obstacles protruding on the beach there.
Responding to Mr. Leddy's question Mrs. Ray discussed the fate of the injured seal on the beach at
Nobadeer and the search for another off 'Sconset. She also expressed concern for lack of signage at Eel
Point and elsewhere for the beaches.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm. The next meeting is confirmed for 31 July at 4:15 pm with Jeff
Willett as guest, and another scheduled for 7 August with AI Peterson as guest.
Respectfully submitted, with notes from John Johnson,
Maureen Beck, Chair