Email Your Representatives Contact Us Feel free to use this template or write your own. Name * First Last * Last Email * Address * Subject * Message * Dear Mayor Murillo & Honorable City Councilmembers: I am a resident of Santa Barbara. I am writing to urge you to eliminate or highly regulate the private for-profit surf camps at Leadbetter Beach. These camps have taken over our beloved beach, arriving en masse and forcing long-time residents and users out of the water. They do not socially distance, creating a significant COVID transmission threat. Additionally, the overcrowding and lack of surfing etiquette presents a major safety hazard as the students continually drop in on resident surfers, endangering themselves and others. A major accident will happen. The California Coastal Act specifies our coast belongs to everyone. But as it is, the afternoon beach at Leadbetter belongs only to those who can afford to pay $50-$100 per child per day to be there. Our public treasure has been taken over by private surf camps – two of which the city has issued permits to and financially profits from. This is disgraceful and betrays the spirit of the Coastal Act. I implore you to ban these private camps from our public beach and return it to our citizens. At the very least, limit the days these camps can operate at Leadbetter, drastically cut their class numbers, and move them from the main surfing point. Other coastal cities have banned or regulated these private camps. Why is Santa Barbara ignoring this? Sincerely, Submit If you are human, leave this field blank.