The city of South Haven will be working with a project management firm to implement a lifeguard program following action by the city council on Monday.
At a meeting last month, the council gave initial support to the idea of bringing in Double Haul Solutions to help City Manager Kate Hosier plan for the implementation of the program. This week, the council approved a $45,000 contract with DHS. Member Mary Hosley had several issues with the proposal, though, saying the company’s experts don’t have the right kind of experience, among other things.
“What I am seeing here is not what I expected, and I don’t believe that the steps are in the right order to efficiently navigate this from start to finish,” Hosley said. “And I cannot support the proposal as presented.”
City Manager Hosier requested DHS, saying it’s the right company to help roll out what will essentially be a new public safety system in the city. Council member George Sleeper said the council micromanaging that process will only slow things down.
“If we’re going to further delay this by getting into the details and telling Kate how we’re going to do it, bottom line is it’s going to delay things,” Sleeper said. “The city manager is asking us, or telling us, ‘This is what I need.’ I’m saying let’s give her what she needs so she can give us what we want, which is a lifeguard program.”
The council has indicated it wants a lifeguard program in place by next summer. That’s after about 20 years of no lifeguards at city beaches.
Hosley’s was the lone no vote on the motion Monday to hire DHS to help make the lifeguard program happen.
