CITY COUNCIL: Receive Report & Provide Direction on a Recommendation from Forest & Beach Commission on a Concept for a Portable Beach Fire Basket

Meeting Date: March 6, 2012


Prepared by: Mike Branson


City Council
Agenda Item Summary


Name: Receive report and provide direction on a recommendation from the Forest and Beach Commission on a concept for a portable beach fire basket.

Description: At its January meeting, the Forest and· Beach Commission reviewed the concept and prototype of a portable fire basket for managing fires and charcoal cleanup on Carmel Beach. The Commission supported the idea and recommended the City Council review the concept and provide comments on possible implementation.

Overall Cost:
City Funds: Unknown at this time.

Staff Recommendation: Review and provide comments on the portable fire basket concept.

Important Considerations: At the January 5, 2012 meeting, the Forest and Beach Commissioners unanimously recommended that Council review the portable fire basket concept developed by Tom Leverone. Fires are currently only allowed under certain conditions and the City pays for charcoal cleanup during the summer season.

Decision Record: None.
Reviewed by:


Jason Stilwell, City Administrator


CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
STAFF REPORT
TO: MAYOR McCLOUD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
THROUGH: JASON STILWELL, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
FROM: MIKE BRANSON, CITY FORESTER
DATE: MARCH 6, 2012
SUBJECT: REVIEW AND PROVIDE POLICY DIRECTION ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FOREST AND BEACH COMMISSION ON A CONCEPT FOR A PORTABLE BEACH FIRE BASKET
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide comments and direction on the fire basket proposal.
BACKGROUND
Fires and charcoal accumulation on Carmel Beach has been a contentious issue for
years. The Forest and Beach Commission and City Council have regularly heard
both from supporters and opponents of allowing fires. Fires currently are allowed
on the beach south of Tenth Avenue and they must comply with several fire
management rules. There is no regulation on the number of fires or responsibility
for cleanup of the fire pits. The City has a program to clean up the fire pits weekly
during the summer season.
REVIEW
Forest and Beach Chairman Tom Leverone devised the idea of a portable fire
basket, or wok, due to its resemblance to the Asian cooking pan. The basket, made
of a metal screen with a carrying handle, is large enough for a legal fire and two
people can even carry it with the firewood inside. The screen holes are large
enough to facilitate air flow yet small enough to collect most of the charcoal from
the fire.
To use it, the basket is nestled down into the sand and a fire is built inside. When the
fire is done or needs to be extinguished, water is poured onto the coals and the
basket is lifted with the charcoal inside to a disposal site. The idea is to still allow
fires but to have the user be part of the cleanup program.


The Forest and Beach Commission reviewed this device during its January meeting.
The Commissioners and the public attendees were supportive of the concept. The
Commission recommended the idea be presented to the City Council to provide
additional comments on the device and the logistics of possible implementation as a
method of managing fires on Carmel Beach.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs to implement this program are still under development. Chairman Tom
Leverone paid for the prototype and revisions to the basket have already been
discussed.
SUMMARY
Fires and charcoal continue to be topics of discussion. It is hoped that this concept could
be developed into a way to manage fires and charcoal cleanup on the beach. Costs to
build and a method of dispersal and collection of the fire baskets still must be obtained.
Comments from the City Council and the public will help facilitate a workable fire and
charcoal cleanup program.