South Haven council discusses possible lifeguard program

SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. -- The South Haven City Council voted 5-2, approving city staff to work with a third-party group in order to create and start a lifeguard program with an implementation goal of Memorial Day weekend 2026.

At the beginning of May, council member Mary Hosley presented a motion to the council, which passed 4-3, to have city manager Kate Hosier present a draft lifeguard plan at the May 19 meeting.

Leading up to the meeting, Hosier consulted with the United Stated Lifesaving Association (USLA), who she said helped her and the city understand the options for a lifeguard program in a “rough outline,” but did not give a ‘ready-to-go’ implementable plan for the city.

Hosier explained currently, city staff are overwhelmed with obligations, so to be able to create a plan that could be ready by the summer of 2026, the staff needs help.

“A lifeguard program is a new department or a major subsidiary of an existing department. I don’t have the staff to do that, I’m down several key people and…we’re restructuring already so I just need the assistance of DHS to help me craft this program, get this out the door, get the certification, get the milestones out to you all so you can make the decisions you need to make, that’s what I’m asking for,” said Hosier.

Hosier asked the council to consider hiring a third-party group in a limited-time contract to take over and guide the lifeguard program creation and implementation process, which the council did approve in the 5-2 vote.

Before the decision was made, however, some council members, like Wendi Onuki, explained she would have liked to see the program start this summer and worry that hiring a third-party will delay getting a program started.

“It seems like it’s too late to have lifeguards on the beach this summer. I don’t know where we went wrong trying to follow the right steps and still not be able to do it… I would like for us as a council to know whether we are really going forward with this or if we’re just commissioning another study or report to then vote on that later, because I feel like, to me that is kicking the can down the road,” said Onuki.

To view the entire meeting on YouTube, click here.