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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT
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http://www.naturistaction.org
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Copyright 2016 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible
for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or
redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its
entirety and without alteration.
DATE : January 7, 2016
SUBJECT: Huntington Beach, California
TO : All naturists, nudists and other concerned citizens
Greetings.
This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), issued in close coordination with Naturists in the O.C. (NitOC), a local naturist group in Orange County, California. NAC is asking you to take specific action to oppose a sudden reversal of administrative policy by the City of Huntington Beach.
CONTACT THE HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL
ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON JANUARY 19
A newly created administrative rule specifically forbids the rental of the City's indoor municipal gym and pool for private nude events that are closed to the public. Events of that exact sort have been allowed since 2007 and have taken place regularly and without incident for 8 years.
NAC is asking naturists to contact members of the Huntington Beach City Council to request the removal of the administrative rule, which was implemented without the approval or knowledge of council members.
QUICK BACKGROUND
In 2007, the City of Huntington Beach was asked by the city's police chief to create a strict anti-nudity ordinance that would apply to places that are open to public view. NAC and local naturists opposed the ordinance, which was over-broad. NAC was able to convince council members to modify a portion of the language. However, the end result was the passage of the ordinance, so that the police would have another "tool" with which to deal with the public.
At the time that the anti-nudity ordinance was being considered, NAC proposed the private rental of the City's municipal gym and pool facility for nude events as being consistent with the new ordinance. Council and staff agreed, and the private rentals for nude swims and indoor volleyball have been going on since November, 2007. In each of the following years, there have been between six and eight private rentals for nude events.
WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?
1) Immediately email each Huntington Beach City Council member and the office of the City Manager. Names and email addresses of council members are given on the NAC web page, along with this NAC Action Alert: naturistaction.org/hb
2) Attend the meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council.
WHEN: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
TIME: 6:00 PM PST
WHERE: 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
The Council has not put this matter on its agenda, but individuals may speak on this topic during the public comment period. NAC encourages you to be there to speak out. But even if you choose not to speak, your presence at the meeting sends a message. Whether you speak or not, please attend the meeting at 6:00 PM on January 19!
WHO SHOULD WRITE AND/OR SPEAK?
The Naturist Action Committee is addressing this NAC Action Alert to all naturists, nudists, and other concerned citizens. Huntington Beach promotes itself as a tourist destination, and the economy of the city relies on dollars from those who live elsewhere. This is a local issue that affects residents and visitors alike. Regardless of where you live, let your opinion be heard.
WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?
When you're writing, be polite and concise. Everyone should write, but if you are a Huntington Beach resident, be sure to mention that. Use your name; anonymous comments are typically ignored.
It's important that you ask specifically for the removal of AR-704, the new rule that suddenly forbids the private nude swims that have been no problem at all FOR EIGHT YEARS.
NAC is not asking for you to recite the standard list of naturist arguments. Nude is natural and skinny-dipping is wonderful, but we're not trying to recruit new naturists. We're trying to regain equal access to a public facility. Here are some simple points you may wish to make. Choose one or two and use your own words. Please do not just copy these suggestions.
1. The City Attorney and Recreation manager are correct in noting that the city's anti-nudity ordinance has been in effect for years. In fact, it has been in effect for the entire duration of time that the city has been granting nude usage of the municipal gym and pool as a private rental. The swims are private events that allow nudity and disallow public viewing. The local law applies to places that are open to public view. Simply put, there is nothing illegal, incompatible, or contradictory here.
2. Each swim is truly a private function. It is not open to the public. Windows are covered to prevent viewing from outside. The entrances are monitored, and only invited participants are allowed inside. The general public is excluded from the private function.
3. The City insists that its lifeguards be on duty. From the very beginning, City lifeguards have volunteered to work the event. The understanding from the start has been that if no lifeguard volunteers, the swim cannot be held. The swim organizer (NAC, NitOC) is charged a fee that pays for the lifeguards. Over more than 8 years, there have always been lifeguards and other staff who volunteer to work the nude swims. The notion that the swims are a forced hardship on City staff is fiction.
4. The new administrative rule singles out naturists and specifically denies them equal access to an important municipal facility. Meanwhile, the City of Huntington Beach continues to rent out the Gym and Pool facility for other private events, including private birthday parties.
5. The new administrative rule (AR-704) does not meet its stated purpose. The rule proclaims that the body exposure during the private-rental nude swims "unreasonably interferes with the right of the public to enter City recreation facilities." That premise ignores the fact that when the City facility is rented for private events of all kinds, the facility is routinely closed to the public. The sponsor of the private event (NAC or NitOC) rents the entire facility, not just a portion of it, and the facility is always been closed to the general public during the event, just as it is for other private rentals.
6. The swim events are well attended. Naturists from Huntington Beach and from outside the city participate. They purchase fuel locally, and some take local lodging. They patronize local shops and restaurants. They tell their friends about the welcoming attitude of Surf City, Huntington Beach's trademarked marketing name. All refreshments for the swim are purchased locally. The fee paid by the swim organizer for the private event is direct income for the city.
7. The new administrative rule (AR-704) was adopted as a stealth policy. No public input or comment was solicited. Members of the Huntington Beach City Council were never involved - or even informed!
PLEASE COPY NAC ON YOUR CORRESPONDENCE
You can help the effort by letting us know what you've said. Please send copies of your correspondence to NAC. E-mail works best.
[email protected]
WHAT IS NAC DOING?
NAC has been involved in this matter from the very beginning. California attorney and activist Allen Baylis, organizer of NitOC, is a member of the Naturist Action Committee's board of directors. Of course, it was NAC that received approval in 2007 for the first two nude swims in the Huntington Beach municipal gym & pool facility. When Naturists in the O.C. were recently denied use of the facility, NAC quickly made its own application. That application was denied, as well.
This situation is a good example of NAC's grass roots model of naturist activism. NAC continues working closely with NitOC and with the City of Huntington Beach to resolve this issue. As this NAC Action Alert demonstrates, we absolutely count on the participation of motivated individuals.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You can find additional information, including this NAC Action Alert, at naturistaction.org/hb or by visiting the NAC web site www.naturistaction.org and clicking on ALERTS.
On NAC's Action Alert page for Huntington Beach, you'll find links to the text of the newly imposed administrative rule, along with the text of the adopted anti-nudity ordinance and correspondences to and from the City Staff.
PLEASE HELP NAC CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!
The Naturist Action Committee is a nonprofit volunteer adjunct to The Naturist Society, a membership organization. NAC is committed to vigorous activism on behalf of naturists. NAC has no membership roster and receives no dues money. NAC relies entirely on the voluntary financial support of concerned naturists like YOU.
Won't you please send a generous donation to NAC?
NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 (8AM-4PM, Central Time, weekdays) to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation:
www.naturistaction.org/donate/
Thank you for choosing once again to make a difference.
Naturally,
R Allen Baylis
Board Member
Naturist Action Committee
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Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - <[email protected]>
Board Member Allen Baylis - <[email protected]>
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - <[email protected]>
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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT
************************************************** ********************
http://www.naturistaction.org
************************************************** ********************
Copyright 2016 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible
for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or
redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its
entirety and without alteration.
DATE : January 7, 2016
SUBJECT: Huntington Beach, California
TO : All naturists, nudists and other concerned citizens
Greetings.
This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), issued in close coordination with Naturists in the O.C. (NitOC), a local naturist group in Orange County, California. NAC is asking you to take specific action to oppose a sudden reversal of administrative policy by the City of Huntington Beach.
CONTACT THE HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL
ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON JANUARY 19
A newly created administrative rule specifically forbids the rental of the City's indoor municipal gym and pool for private nude events that are closed to the public. Events of that exact sort have been allowed since 2007 and have taken place regularly and without incident for 8 years.
NAC is asking naturists to contact members of the Huntington Beach City Council to request the removal of the administrative rule, which was implemented without the approval or knowledge of council members.
QUICK BACKGROUND
In 2007, the City of Huntington Beach was asked by the city's police chief to create a strict anti-nudity ordinance that would apply to places that are open to public view. NAC and local naturists opposed the ordinance, which was over-broad. NAC was able to convince council members to modify a portion of the language. However, the end result was the passage of the ordinance, so that the police would have another "tool" with which to deal with the public.
At the time that the anti-nudity ordinance was being considered, NAC proposed the private rental of the City's municipal gym and pool facility for nude events as being consistent with the new ordinance. Council and staff agreed, and the private rentals for nude swims and indoor volleyball have been going on since November, 2007. In each of the following years, there have been between six and eight private rentals for nude events.
WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?
1) Immediately email each Huntington Beach City Council member and the office of the City Manager. Names and email addresses of council members are given on the NAC web page, along with this NAC Action Alert: naturistaction.org/hb
2) Attend the meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council.
WHEN: Tuesday, January 19, 2016
TIME: 6:00 PM PST
WHERE: 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
The Council has not put this matter on its agenda, but individuals may speak on this topic during the public comment period. NAC encourages you to be there to speak out. But even if you choose not to speak, your presence at the meeting sends a message. Whether you speak or not, please attend the meeting at 6:00 PM on January 19!
WHO SHOULD WRITE AND/OR SPEAK?
The Naturist Action Committee is addressing this NAC Action Alert to all naturists, nudists, and other concerned citizens. Huntington Beach promotes itself as a tourist destination, and the economy of the city relies on dollars from those who live elsewhere. This is a local issue that affects residents and visitors alike. Regardless of where you live, let your opinion be heard.
WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?
When you're writing, be polite and concise. Everyone should write, but if you are a Huntington Beach resident, be sure to mention that. Use your name; anonymous comments are typically ignored.
It's important that you ask specifically for the removal of AR-704, the new rule that suddenly forbids the private nude swims that have been no problem at all FOR EIGHT YEARS.
NAC is not asking for you to recite the standard list of naturist arguments. Nude is natural and skinny-dipping is wonderful, but we're not trying to recruit new naturists. We're trying to regain equal access to a public facility. Here are some simple points you may wish to make. Choose one or two and use your own words. Please do not just copy these suggestions.
1. The City Attorney and Recreation manager are correct in noting that the city's anti-nudity ordinance has been in effect for years. In fact, it has been in effect for the entire duration of time that the city has been granting nude usage of the municipal gym and pool as a private rental. The swims are private events that allow nudity and disallow public viewing. The local law applies to places that are open to public view. Simply put, there is nothing illegal, incompatible, or contradictory here.
2. Each swim is truly a private function. It is not open to the public. Windows are covered to prevent viewing from outside. The entrances are monitored, and only invited participants are allowed inside. The general public is excluded from the private function.
3. The City insists that its lifeguards be on duty. From the very beginning, City lifeguards have volunteered to work the event. The understanding from the start has been that if no lifeguard volunteers, the swim cannot be held. The swim organizer (NAC, NitOC) is charged a fee that pays for the lifeguards. Over more than 8 years, there have always been lifeguards and other staff who volunteer to work the nude swims. The notion that the swims are a forced hardship on City staff is fiction.
4. The new administrative rule singles out naturists and specifically denies them equal access to an important municipal facility. Meanwhile, the City of Huntington Beach continues to rent out the Gym and Pool facility for other private events, including private birthday parties.
5. The new administrative rule (AR-704) does not meet its stated purpose. The rule proclaims that the body exposure during the private-rental nude swims "unreasonably interferes with the right of the public to enter City recreation facilities." That premise ignores the fact that when the City facility is rented for private events of all kinds, the facility is routinely closed to the public. The sponsor of the private event (NAC or NitOC) rents the entire facility, not just a portion of it, and the facility is always been closed to the general public during the event, just as it is for other private rentals.
6. The swim events are well attended. Naturists from Huntington Beach and from outside the city participate. They purchase fuel locally, and some take local lodging. They patronize local shops and restaurants. They tell their friends about the welcoming attitude of Surf City, Huntington Beach's trademarked marketing name. All refreshments for the swim are purchased locally. The fee paid by the swim organizer for the private event is direct income for the city.
7. The new administrative rule (AR-704) was adopted as a stealth policy. No public input or comment was solicited. Members of the Huntington Beach City Council were never involved - or even informed!
PLEASE COPY NAC ON YOUR CORRESPONDENCE
You can help the effort by letting us know what you've said. Please send copies of your correspondence to NAC. E-mail works best.
[email protected]
WHAT IS NAC DOING?
NAC has been involved in this matter from the very beginning. California attorney and activist Allen Baylis, organizer of NitOC, is a member of the Naturist Action Committee's board of directors. Of course, it was NAC that received approval in 2007 for the first two nude swims in the Huntington Beach municipal gym & pool facility. When Naturists in the O.C. were recently denied use of the facility, NAC quickly made its own application. That application was denied, as well.
This situation is a good example of NAC's grass roots model of naturist activism. NAC continues working closely with NitOC and with the City of Huntington Beach to resolve this issue. As this NAC Action Alert demonstrates, we absolutely count on the participation of motivated individuals.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You can find additional information, including this NAC Action Alert, at naturistaction.org/hb or by visiting the NAC web site www.naturistaction.org and clicking on ALERTS.
On NAC's Action Alert page for Huntington Beach, you'll find links to the text of the newly imposed administrative rule, along with the text of the adopted anti-nudity ordinance and correspondences to and from the City Staff.
PLEASE HELP NAC CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!
The Naturist Action Committee is a nonprofit volunteer adjunct to The Naturist Society, a membership organization. NAC is committed to vigorous activism on behalf of naturists. NAC has no membership roster and receives no dues money. NAC relies entirely on the voluntary financial support of concerned naturists like YOU.
Won't you please send a generous donation to NAC?
NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 (8AM-4PM, Central Time, weekdays) to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation:
www.naturistaction.org/donate/
Thank you for choosing once again to make a difference.
Naturally,
R Allen Baylis
Board Member
Naturist Action Committee
---------------------------------------------------------------
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - <[email protected]>
Board Member Allen Baylis - <[email protected]>
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - <[email protected]>
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