Committee Not Likely To Recommend Lifeguards For South Haven This Year

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southhaven-83

The South Haven Beach Safety Committee has decided against recommending the city hire lifeguards for its beaches this year. The ad hoc committee was established to study the idea and conducted meetings over the past six months. South Haven City Manager Kate Hosier tells WSJM News the committee this month decided not to recommend lifeguards or a second line of buoys to the city council.

“Other recommendations that were voted on with a majority vote were increased beach signage, or an alert system to signal when the flags are being changed, possibly a pier barrier was voted in,” Hosier said. “And there is currently a beach safety monitoring program the city has with South Haven Area Emergency Services. That monitoring program has been going on for the better part of ten years.”

And Hosier says that program could be expanded under the Beach Safety Committee’s recommendations. She says the city hasn’t had lifeguards for about 20 years. The committee decided against adding them because she says members felt a lifeguard program would be too expensive. Some members felt such a program should be placed before the voters for them to decide. The committee will meet again June 10 to make its recommendations final, and then they go to the city council.