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Home My WebLink AboutSunset Beach Lifeguard Services - Huntington Beach Marine Sai Dept. ID FD13 008 Page 1 of 4 Meeting Date: 9/16/2013 �av-b .5'_ / CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION MEETING DATE: 9/16/2013 SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members SUBMITTED BY: Fred A. Wilson, City Manager PREPARED BY: Patrick McIntosh, Fire Chief SUBJECT: Approval of Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division Providing Sunset Beach Lifeguard Services, Effective October 1, 2013, and Establishment of Levels of Service Statement of Issue: Effective September 30, 2013, the current contract with OC Lifeguards to provide lifeguard services to Sunset Beach will end. As a result, the City must determine how to provide lifeguard services to Sunset Beach beginning October 1, 2013. Financial Impact: For FY 2013/14, $426,446 annual personnel and operating costs, with one-time capital startup costs of $74,000. The proposed FY 2013/14 budget already includes $250,000 for Sunset Beach lifeguard services. Therefore, no additional funds will be required until the mid -year budget adjustment, at which time an additional $176,446 will be needed for annual personnel and operating costs. There are some one-time capital start-up costs associated with assuming services in Sunset Beach for lifeguard tower replacement and equipment that, if necessary, will be requested from CIP funds at mid -year also. Recommended Action: Approve City of Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division providing services to Sunset Beach beginning October 1, 2013. In doing so, it is recommended that the Marine Safety Division Alternative, Option 2 be the service level provided at this time based upon current fiscal constraints, with a future goal of the service level identified in Option 3. Alternative Action(s): Direct staff to consider alternatives for providing lifeguard services in Sunset Beach. Analysis: As a result of a City-wide strategic planning process in 2011 and again in 2013, the organizational alignment of the Marine Safety Division was reviewed and a decision made to transition this division from the Community Services Department into the Fire Department. This organizational realignment will be effective October 1, 2013. Another factor involving the Marine Safety Division surrounds the annexation of the unincorporated community of Sunset Beach by the City. The annexation of Sunset Beach, which became official on August 22, 2011, added 1.25 miles of coastline to the City of Huntington Beach. Prior to annexation, lifeguard services in Sunset Beach were provided to the County of Orange through a contract with OC Lifeguards, a private for -profit vendor. As part of the pre -annexation agreement between the City and the County, the City was required to maintain the existing lifeguard services contract with OC Lifeguards for a period of two -years. Funding for this two-year period was provided by the County in the amount of $250,000 per year. HB -749- Item 22. - I Dept. ID FD13 008 Page 2 of 4 Meeting Date: 9/16/2013 Analysis (continued)' . This two-year obligation and the $500,000 in funding will end on September 30, 2013. The contract with OC Lifeguards will also end at that time. The current contract with OC Lifeguards provides coverage by staffing six lifeguard towers during various hours depending on the time of year and day of the week. Supervision of the tower lifeguards is provided by a supervisor in an emergency response vehicle. Alternative 1— OC Lifeguards Contract An alternative for providing ongoing lifeguard services to Sunset Beach beginning October 1, 2013, is to extend the current agreement with OC Lifeguards. On June 17, 2013, the City sent a letter requesting OC Lifeguards to provide a cost for a possible extension. In their written response, as well as in a follow-up meeting, the President of OC Lifeguards indicated that any contract extension would need to be a minimum of one-year and that the cost for services for the upcoming fiscal year would be $395,000. The increase in cost from $250,000 to $395,000 per year was explained as being the result of no contract increases for the previous three years, and the fact that the original contract was bid at a bare minimum of personnel costs, with no cost assigned for overhead, training, equipment, or supplies. At that time, with the likelihood of annexation or incorporation, they expected to be providing services for only a short time. They stated that the proposed cost of $395,000 was more in line with their actual costs. Alternative 2 — City Marine Safety Division The community of Sunset Beach is a unique environment that is recognized as being different from the beaches in other parts of the City. In evaluating options for providing lifeguard service to Sunset Beach, Marine Safety Division staff considered a variety of information including the following: • Type of visitor base at Sunset Beach • Number of visitors to Sunset Beach • Beach accessibility in the community • Beach and surf conditions in Sunset Beach • Current coverage and services provided by OC Lifeguards • Current condition of existing infrastructure (lifeguard towers) • Proximity of Sunset Beach to other City beaches • Service levels and response to other City beaches • Integration of Sunset Beach into existing City lifeguard services • Coordination of service delivery with City police and fire resources • Integration of Sunset Beach into our City disaster and emergency response plans Based upon this review, Marine Safety Division staff developed three service level options for Sunset Beach. The following is a brief summary of each service option. Option 1 — Annual Cost - $363,598 • Provides supervision of six existing lifeguard towers and up to two patrol 8 hours per day • Provides lifeguards in the six existing towers up to 8 hours per day • Provides a relief lifeguard to allow required breaks and to assist patrols • Provides small contingency funds for weather related events/overtime • Provides fully burdened costs including PARS/PERS • Requires reassigning one MSO from downtown Main beach to Sunset Beach • Requires backfilling the MSO position downtown with a recurrent Lifeguard III • Results in a net loss of two hours of supervision per day on Main beach and is, therefore, fhe least desirable Item 22. - 2 HB -750- Dept. ID FD13 008 Page 3 of 4 Meeting Date: 9/16/2013 Analysis (continued): Option 2 — Annual Cost - $416,446 • Provides supervision of six existing lifeguard towers and up to two patrol 10 hours per day • Provides lifeguards in the six existing towers up to 8 hours per day • Provides a relief lifeguard to allow required breaks and to assist patrols • Provides small contingency funds for weather related events/overtime • Provides fully burdened costs including PARS/PERS • Requires reassigning one MSO from downtown Main beach to Sunset Beach • Requires backfilling the MSO position downtown with a recurrent Lifeguard III Option 3 — Annual Cost - $598,642 • Provides supervision of six existing lifeguard towers and up to two patrol 10 hours per day • Provides lifeguards in the six existing towers up to 8 hours per day • Provides a relief lifeguard to allow required breaks and to assist patrols • Provides small contingency funds for weather related events/overtime • Provides fully burdened costs including PARS/PERS • Provides funding for 2 full-time MSO positions to supervise and patrol • Maintains existing MSO staffing on downtown beaches Option 3 is the service and staffing level that best mirrors the current lifeguard services provided to residents and visitors on other City beaches. This would provide the optimal level of service to the residents and visitors in Sunset Beach. Common to all three service options are some one-time costs associated with assuming services in Sunset Beach, which include: Purchasing of six new lifeguard towers - $60,000 Purchasing of dispatch telephones and associated lines - $4,000 (estimate) Purchase of emergency vehicle equipment - $10,000 (to outfit one additional sponsor vehicle from Toyota) Annual ongoing operating costs for tower supplies, medical aid equipment, replacement of rescue equipment, and non -sponsored uniforms are expected to be approximately $10,000. The proposed FY 2013/14 budget provides $250,000 for Sunset Beach lifeguard services, since that was the cost of the existing contract. Based on the service level option selected, the remaining balance for annual and one-time costs could be added during the first quarter budget update or be handled as a mid -year budget adjustment as the bulk of funds are not needed until the Spring/Summer months of 2014. With the current private vendor contract expiring on September 30, 2013, the City must now determine how it will provide lifeguard services to this 1.25 mile stretch of beach in the City beginning October 1, 2013. Based on the proposed cost increases provided by OC Lifeguards for an extension of the existing contract, as well as the improved beach coverage and integration of services afforded by our City lifeguards, it is recommended that the City of Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division provide services to Sunset Beach beginning October 1, 2013. In providing these services, it is recommended that Option 2 be the service level provided at this time based upon current fiscal constraints, with a future goal of the service level identified in Option 3. Environmental Status: None. Strategic Plan Goal: Enhance and maintain public safety. xB -751- Item 22. - 3 Dept. ID FD13 008 Page 4 of 4 Meeting Date: 9/16/2013 Attachment(s): None. Item 22. - 4 HB -752-