By James Windell
Double Haul Solutions (DHS), the consulting firm hired by the City of South Haven to advise how the City could best implement a lifeguard program, presented its report to the City Council.
Three staff members from DHS made their presentation on Monday, November 17, 2025 at the regular City Council meeting. DHS’ Nate Geinzer reiterated that their task was not to determine if South Haven needed a lifeguard program but instead to recommend how a lifeguard program could be implemented. “Our job,” said Geinzer, “was to tell you how it could be done .”
During initial comments by Geinzer, it was pointed out that South Haven is unique in that the City has seven beaches that stretch over two and a half miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Furthermore, no other Lake Michigan beach community has strived for United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) certification, however, South Haven has indicated that it would want that certification.
Breaking the implementation of a lifeguard program into three phases, DHS said that full implementation of all three phases could be done gradually, but not in the first year. Phase I involves coming up with an approved funding strategy and the establishment of internal systems and processes to secure the necessary infrastructure and staffing. Besides determining a leadership structure for the lifeguard program, up to 10 lifeguards would be deployed.
The cost of getting the program off the ground and putting Phase I into effect would likely cost about $500,000, according to DHS estimates. A big part of the initial work of City staff would be to determine how the program would be funded.
City Manager Kate Hosier said that if the City decided to move forward to implement a lifeguard program, “We will have to find a funding strategy.”
Council member Joe Reeser made a motion that the City move forward to create a lifeguard program that would begin by Memorial Day, 2026. Although Council woman Mary Hosley tried to amend that motion with a new motion to require that the program be USLA certified, that motion failed for lack of support. The City Council then voted unanimously to approve Reeser’s motion.
That vote means that the City will begin the process of implementing Phase 1 of a lifeguard program for its beaches. The program will begin with putting lifeguards on duty next summer on the South Beach. It will be the first time in 20 years that lifeguards will patrol a South Haven beach.
