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Lifeguards may return to beach
Published Monday, May 5, 2008
A possible partnership between the city and the Fergus Falls Area Family YMCA could put lifeguards back on Pebble Lake beach this summer.
Under a proposed agreement, the city would pay the YMCA to provide a lifeguard at the beach from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, from June 16 through Aug. 16, said Public Works Director Anne Martens. The cost to the city would be $20,500 out of the Parks and Recreation budget.
The partnership, discussed at last week’s Finance, Personnel and Development Committee meeting, is not yet set in stone. The city council is scheduled to vote on the agreement at its meeting tonight.
Should the agreement pass, the size of Pebble Lake’s swimming area would not change, Martens said, and the city would still be responsible for beach maintenance like putting out buoys. A sign would inform swimmers of lifeguard hours and advise them to enter at their own risk without supervision.
The lifeguards are not to be confused with babysitters, Martens said. The last time the beach had lifeguards was in 2004.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by sametoyou (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me get this straight. A life guard. 4 hours a day. 7 days a week. That's 28 hours a week. 112 hours a month, times 2 months. If my Minnesota math is right, that's 224 hours, total. $20,500 ?????? Where can one sign up for this job?
Posted by bucksteel (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's actually 248 hours (62 days * 4 hours/day), but that still comes out to $82.66 per hour (if it is all labor-related expense). Seems really high.
Posted by ajohnsonx (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The cost to the city is not just for compensating the lifeguard labor. The open beach/swimming area has maintenance costs, along with liability insurance for operating hours so on. It would be interesting to see exactly how it is broken down?
Posted by bucksteel (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the Journal could provide the info in Tuesday's paper after the City Council kicks it around tonite???
Posted by Flashbang (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The article reads like the money is for lifeguards because after the $$'s are stated it says "the city would still be responsible for beach maintenance,,,". To me it reads the $$'s go to the lifeguards. Maybe the $20.5k is for more than one lifeguard.
And Bucksteel, your suggestion for the Journal to break it down after the meeting is good.
Posted by sametoyou (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 7:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't suppose they said $2,500, and the journal actually got it wrong? Nah, that would never happen.
Posted by Timray18 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pebble Lake is a jewel. It is my hope that the city keeps it forever. My first experience there was as if I walked into a time-warp and back to a time when there was so much right with America. Never let developers destroy it....Pebble Lake is jewel in in rusting crown.
Posted by fergusnative (anonymous) on May 8, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The chances that the journal didn't get the facts straight are very high.
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