City Has Sponsorship Deal for Two Pickups

Marine Safety officers will be trading in their 1997 Jeeps, already rusty from the sea air, for two new Chevrolet pickups at minimal cost under a two-year sponsorship agreement approved this week by the City Council.

The Adopt-A-Beach program permits Chevrolet Motors Corp. to advertise itself as the “Official Marine Safety Vehicle Sponsor of the Orange Coast Beaches.” Other privileges include displaying vehicles and merchandise at special beach events.

Chevrolet will provide 42 vehicles this summer under similar contracts with cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Newport Beach. San Clemente, which will save $27,000 under the contract, will pay $720 in commission fees and $5,000 to equip the vehicles with special marine equipment.

But the contract could conflict with Saturn’s sponsorship of the annual San Clemente Ocean Festival. For the past three years, Saturn has donated $6,000 annually to the festival. City officials are considering replacing the $6,000 for the festival. Proceeds from the festival are distributed to local nonprofit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club.

Under a related contract with Adopt-A-Beach, rusty 55-gallon trash containers on beaches will be replaced with shiny new ones advertising various other products.

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