VIRGINIA BEACH
When city officials looked to save money this year by reducing lifeguard service, they chose to cut stands at Sandbridge beaches.
A big reason: People who go there usually are better swimmers than people in the main resort area.
"It's like night and day," said Tom Gill, captain of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service, which has a $1.28 million contract to guard beaches from Fort Story to Sandbridge.
As part of citywide budget cuts, $85,000 was trimmed off this year's contract. The result is a dip in lifeguard stands from 62 to 57. Little Island Park in Sandbridge is going from eight to four. The beach at the community's north end is going from four to three stands. Those reductions are expected to save $46,000.
A smattering of other temporary stand reductions will affect the resort areas in the off-peak season before school gets out June 13 and after Labor Day. Lifeguard staffing during major holidays, including Memorial Day, and the main summer season will not be affected, officials said.
"We were careful to make sure this would not impact public safety,"
said Bruce Edwards, the city's chief of Emergency Medical Services, which oversees the lifeguard contract.
However, Sandbridge residents are wondering how a big, new condo development, The Sanctuary at False Cape, will affect the need for lifeguards. It's at the south end of Sandbridge next to Little Island Park.
"We've never had a summer with 249 units open and ready to go right next door, and we don't know what the impacts are going to be," said Pat Barton, a Sandbridge civic league board member and lifeguard in the 1980s. "The civic league will talk about it and come up with a position as a community."
The Beach's lifeguard team is coming off a perfect season last year with zero drownings, the first fatality-free year since 2003.
"Shutout, baby. Woo-hoo!" Gill said.
In 2007, Beach lifeguards pulled 386 struggling swimmers from the ocean, blew their whistles to prevent trouble 123,478 times and helped 735 lost children find their parents, according to statistics filed with the United States Lifesaving Association. Most of that action happened in the resort area, not Sandbridge, Gill said.
"The people that take the time to rent a cottage and know enough that they want to be on their own are usually a more knowledgeable group about the water."
Residents can learn more about the plan at the Sandbridge Beach Civic League meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, said Cary Shreve, the group's president.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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take funding from city vehicles
lets take the funding away from these expensive city vehicles what city offical needs to drive a hummer , or the 4 wheel drive trucks there is nowhere in the city that needs four wheel drive ,let the city use economy cars , on a second point ,since we are on the subject of the beach u think the city could spring for a real bathroom at 1st street it sucks using a smelly porta potty , i would love to see one of the city council use one of these smelly porta potties , maybe they should get some porta potties at the court house ,
Don't be so hard on Mr. Gill...
He is merely being enthusiatic about their record - a record they should take great pride in. Great job.
And he is right - there are more surfers at Little Island - they typically don't need babysitting anyway. As for the horror that is the new condo development - they should hire their own lifeguards or as I said earlier, let Darwin's Theory take over.
Mr. Gill
If you recall, Mr. Gill won the Fox reality series Sexiest Bachelor in America.
He should take his (dreamy) self on another reality show and put his winnings toward keeping the lifeguards!!
So, what you are saying is...
You will be taking half of these lifeguards away. So it would make sense to take every other one away, leaving each remaining lifeguard with twice the beach area to monitor. Oh, but you probably know exactly where the better swimmers are, don't you? Right, that would be where the rental houses are because they know more.
Well Mr. Gill, you sound like a very bright and articulate man ("Shutout, baby. Woo-hoo!"), so I know you've done your research and won't stereotype and make assumptions (because we all know what assume means).
dumb idea
Families from all over (no ocean) rent the homes at sandbridge, so taking lifeguards from that area-not smart! But then we need to remember where we are, a city run by a bunch of jerks!! Who for some reason always get elected year after year! Well I hope it doesn’t happen, but I will bet a family renting out there will need help and there wont be any!! Get the attorneys ready! Tax increase here we come!!
I wish they would let them all go
That would reduce the size of the crowds at Little Island. And will someone pleeeeeeeaaaaaasse tear down those hideously ugly condos next to the parking lot? Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaassssse!
If you want to know just what an atrocity VB city council is, just look at those monstrous condos. A bucket of cow's eyes are more attractive than those ugly, ugly condos.
Somewhere someone is laughing
At the Virginia Beach City Council. After spending MILLIONS of dollars on such things as a golf course that few people in the city actually use, to assisting with hotels and dodging the Navy over development around NAS Oceana, now they think they are doing some great cost cutting by eliminating lifeguard positions at Sandbridge. Cutting back on safety while 'saving' golf courses and hotel space on the beachfront.
Does Virginia Beach have the craziest city council or what?
wow.
Let's not get angry at those who live in neighborhoods where the property values are higher; that's totally giving in to the class envy / resentment preachings of the left.
This city will save how much by cutting lifeguards in Sandbridge? And this decision is based on someone's belief that there are better swimmers in Sandbridge?
I don't understand.
On the one hand, we consider risking human life to save a few dollars. On the other hand, we sponsor frivolous expenditures which, if we sacrificed, would not risk any human life.
Let me get this straight
The city just spent 2 million buying a Mcdonalds at the oceanfront, and they don't even have plans to use the property. Now they are "saving" 85000 by firing lifeguards. Where did this city council come from- the bizarro world?
Re: Sand comment by Reid Greenmun
Reid what sandbridge residents pay for sand is chump change!!! It's the rest of us Virginia Beach residents who pay for the majority of the sand you rich sandbridge residents and Hotel Owners enjoy and profit from!!! Our tax money pays for your sand and we don't even live there. Why don't you sandbridge residents pool together and pay your own lifeguards!!!!! I don't see any sand being piped to my back yard yet I pay for it!!! I can't even walk my dog on your beaches yet you take my tax money!!! And of course you Sandbridge beach owners pay a higher tax; but look at your property values. Every home is a million plus!!! Your suppose to pay a higher tax. Look at all the profit you make on your rentals. Give us a break. Go cry to someone else. You think the rest of us are stupid.
Really?
Shouldn't the number of lifeguards depend on the number of people, just because you frequent the beach does not make you a good swimmer and cutting lifeguards would only make the beach less safe. This is a terrible excuse to cut lifeguards, sounds more like they want more money to pad their pockets than to put into meaningful expenses that benefit everyone.
Bookmark this stupid idea...
Because it will be needed to remind the City of VB that this was a stupid idea. They advertise to bring in tourist, then take away the safety net. How can you determined on a yearly basis what resort beach has better swimmers than another. What a crock! If I lived in Sandbridge I wouldn't let this happen. It could be your child, your grand-child, or anyone else for that matter. Next, they will say the Fire Station needs to close on Sunday's, because studies show Sandbridge has more fires on Saturdays. Stop it now, before it gets out of hand.
good move
I agree with the decision. Little Island is worlds away from the typical incompetent boobery going on in the waves at the oceanfront. Most drownings occur because someone underestimated the ferocity of the ocean. I say put the red flag up when swimming is unsafe and let Darwin's theory assert itself.
Just one death...
I can't understand what the council is thinking by cutting this service. There must be hundreds of other things to cut instead. This is chump change in a 1.76 billion dollar budget. Just one death in Sandbridge in the coming year(it happens almost every year in VB) and city council will look like coldhearted fools who allowed a preventable death to occur. Sometime you just have to ask "what are they thinking?"
Jim Spore diverts $9M of Sandbridge funds to budget last year
Incredible. The home owners in Sandbridge pay a higher tax rate then the rest of beach homeowners to keep sand on the Beach and the City Manager takes $9M to spend in the city's General Fund last year, claiming he "needs" the $9M to fund the budget. Then Jim Spore "discovers" a $29M "surplus" at the end of the year. Does he save the "surplus"? Does he return it to the Sandbridge taxpayers that paid a higher tax rate then the rest of the city? Nope. City Council fritters away the "surplus" on non-essential spending, like spending millions to buy a gold course! So then, the City Mangers turns around and decides to cut LIFE GUARDS at Sandbridge - to save a few thousand dollars? And claims the families renting beach homes, families with small children are somehow magically better swimmers?! Incredible. Meanwhile the city still wastes millions to fund the HREDA, the Hampton Roads Partnership, and "sponsor" business events and fund raisers. They still fund Beach Magazine and the City Page!
Taking from Sandbridge
The taking is just starting. Tonight the City COuncil is scheduled to take 9 Million Dollars from the Sandbridge TIF, they declared as "Surplus". You think they would do something to help the citizens not hurt them. The money could be spent to increase safty....like improve Sandbridge road or build Nimmo Parkway!