Ludington Beach Patrol not patrolling beach very much.

[AQUAMAN]

Per this witness over this summer I can definitely say that Ludington's Beach Patrol isn't up to par with substituting for our Ludington Lifeguards at all. Throughout the summer I noticed people playing loud music, running dogs, and drinking alcohol on the Ludington Stearns Park Beach repeatedly, and without any encounters with the Beach Patrol. I also noticed just the other day last week, when winds reached 35 mph and waves crested at 6'-8' high, crashing the breakwalls, that Beach Patrol was casually visiting with the female bikini groups, and not paying attention to swimmers nor breakwall walkers. Last Friday, the Beach Patrol was at the Loomis St. ramps, a blonde and brunette male. These two young men were writing tickets to fisherman, and peering into vehicles windows. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. Question is: are they entitled or permitted to write infraction tickets for parking? Are they also allowed to peer into vehicle windows, looking for God knows what? Meanwhile, the routine the lifeguards followed of protecting lives, and watching for possible drownings, goes totally ignored. Methinks this entire Beach Patrol is a waste of city taxpayer monies. They are there for fun or police work, not protecting lives! Anybody else seeing these things? Thanks. 

[XLFD]

I don't know your source, Aquaman, but the wages including fringes of the beach patrol are about right according to the yearly averages of the  latest budget projecting over 2015-2017 (on p. 28 of this 2015 budget) in your post, around $15,000.  But the total spent on beach safety is over twice that, just averaging over $31,000 for each year mentioned. 

On page 27 of the last year of the lifeguards 2010, which included the same peripheral expenses, the average spent per year 2008-2010 was just a little over $25,000 per year.  If we consider inflation into the mix, $25,000 in 2010 would equal $27,350 today. 

So I must contend that your saying that we save $10K is actually us losing nearly $4K in 2010 dollars.  We spend more, we get less, and let's not forget that first year without lifeguards where we had three deaths in the water at Stearn's Park.  We're dodging bullets each year.

[AQUAMAN]

It is also my understanding that Councilor Castonia is Chairman of the Safety Committee, along with members Tykoski and Wiencheski (sp?). Those are the primary folks that have jurisdiction over the Beach Patrol and hiring lifeguards. I also guess that Chief Barnett hired and trained the kids, and they report to him. Funny that Castonia and Barnett act and pretend to be so pious and upright, while they casually cast aside all common safety at our most important summer asset, the Stearns Park beach. The actual expenditures on Beach Patrol are: $9130 salaries, $1068 fringes, $4799 for supplies and equipment, total = $14,997. Some people at city hall are still nice enough to answer taxpayer questions without requiring a FOIA request, thank God. They are the hometown locals that care about us, not the downstate shysters that are just here by appointment, and greedy for the high salary, if you know whom I mean. 

[XLFD]

Aq, those may be the figures so far for 2015 without including some of those other line items on the budget (various other expenses are noteworthy including over $8000 for 'equipment rental') that are included in 'Beach Safety'.  You may wish to ask your source about those additional costs in regard to beach safety which arise each year because it is all part of the program that replaced the lifeguard program which was less costly to us.

The youthful cast of beach patrollers seem to change yearly, indicative of it being perhaps a stepping stone for those in the Criminal Justice program at WSCC.  The perks of the job are obvious, but it must get annoying when others (and themselves) ask them what exactly is your job here, and why are you here? 

Too bad for them they can't say that they are there to provide rescue services for swimmers in distress.  But they can tell you and ticket you if your boat trailer is parked on the parking line and if you're showing too much anal cleft with your Speedos.  I guess that's what is important from a law enforcement angle.