More eyes will be on beachgoers in the near future.
A budget shift aimed at hiring three additional lifeguards for Coquina Gulfside Park and Manatee Public Beach was approved in May by the Manatee County Board of Commissioners.
Manatee County Marine Rescue Unit Chief Joe Westerman said May 20 he currently has 11 lifeguards on Anna Maria Island’s public beaches.
“We’ve been short staffed for the last few years,” Westerman said.
County administrator Ed Hunzeker told commissioners May 5 the budget shuffle was necessary to work within a state law that prohibits the county from using tourist development dollars to fund lifeguard salaries and other personnel costs.
The tourist funds are collected by owners who rent accommodations for six months or less and charge the county’s 5 percent resort tax in addition to the state’s 6 percent sales tax.
To accomplish the “all-legal” funding, the county will move $175,000 in tourist-related maintenance expenses in the general budget into its tourism budget, freeing up general funds to pay for additional lifeguards, according to Elliott Falcione, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau director.
The budget allocation will be recurring, fund permanent positions and add manpower on the beaches during summer holidays, he said.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said the lifeguard funding is a reflection of the county beginning to realize the stress tourism puts on the island and listen more to island cities’ concerns.
Westerman expects to hire lifeguards in the next few weeks and expand summer coverage to 7 p.m., as people stay on the beach longer. Shifts will adjust based on necessary rescue efforts, he added.
According to public information officer Nick Azzara, the marine rescue unit employed 17 lifeguards in 2007 but, due to the recession, gradually dropped its numbers until hitting 11 in 2013-14.
Although the three new positions will bring Westerman’s division to 14 lifeguards, he acknowledged he’s still three down.
“I’m super-excited and very pleased to have some funding back,” Westerman said.
The 20-year veteran of the marine unit also spoke to the lack of lifeguards covering the remaining 6 miles of island beaches.
“And looking to the future, with the increase in tourism, we’d like to add more personnel.
“As tourism grows you want lifeguards up and down the coastline,” Westerman added.
He recommended using the “east coast as a role model, where it’s really hard to see a stretch of beach uncovered,” he said.
Westerman is in the process of hiring both full-time and part-time positions.
According to the county website, the job requires applicants to pass agility and skills tests, including swimming 50 meters of all strokes, running a half mile in 3 minutes, 50 seconds or less, swimming 500 yards in open water in 10 minutes or less and paddling a rescue board approximately 200 yards.
The positions pay $24,481-$37,315 annually.
As to any other message about the positions, Westerman responded, “Please apply.”