Beach Bathroom Stank Alert Prompts L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to Ask For More Janitorial Funds

Smelling good, Zuma Beach.

When you hear tourists complaining about dirty, stinky beaches, don't automatically assume that Lindsay Lohan, the Kardashian sisters, and Andy Dick are the objects of their ire. (We kid).

No, they could be holding their noses and pointing at L.A. County's lovely beach restrooms, which, if the plan holds, will see a lot less TLC from janitors this summer. (Ah, you can almost smell them now).

Westside county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says the seaside janitorial cutbacks could constitute "a major health issue" unless something is done soon.

He wants the county's Department of Beaches and Harbors to fully restore about 30 janitorial positions and find other ways to save cash.

The county announced in April that beach-side bathrooms pretty much up and down the whole L.A. coast would see reduced cleaning schedules, with some opening only in the afternoon.

Yaroslavsky said his office is already fielding complaints:

They find that it's not clean, that it's not properly maintained and have the same reaction as when the city doesn't empty garbage cans, which is a problem,. Summer is here. Beach visitation is up. Twelve million people this year.

The county CEO was directed to come up with some budget juggling proposals to see if the bathrooms' cleanliness could be restored.

We kind of like the idea of beach restrooms with their own flies, clouds and stank. They say L.A. isn't as urban and gritty as New York. Well here's our chance to match the Big Apple funk for funk.

Update: L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe calls b.s. on this, well, epic tale of human s. (Ha-ha New York: Guess our shit don't stink after all). He says there have been no complaints about dirty bathrooms since the cutbacks have taken effect:

... A review of the Department of Beaches and Harbors' complaint log shows that no calls had come in regarding restroom cleanliness at our beaches. Rather, patrons were frustrated that the restrooms were not open early enough, a schedule change that had been made over the last month due to severe budget cuts.

Knabe says the county has shuffled some things around and can now afford to reopen the following high-traffic restrooms at 7 a.m. starting Saturday. (So now you don't have to pee in your wetsuits, surfers. Thanks Don).

Los Angeles: Will Rogers at Temescal

Malibu: Zuma #6 and Point Dume

Manhattan Beach: El Porto and 26th Street

Redondo Beach: Knob Hill

San Pedro: White Point

First posted at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1.

-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us. Follow us on Twitter, too: @dennisjromero.