Vandalism of restrooms continues
By Barb Pert Templeton
After an officer from the Marine City Police Department closed the city beach at 8 p.m. one recent Sunday evening, prompting swimmers to leave the water and prohibiting others just arriving from taking a dip, the city has reevaluated the site’s hours going forward.
In a memo on the city website posted on June 23, City Manager Michael Reaves noted that there’s conflicting information about the actual open and closing times for the beach and park areas. He stated that if you google Marine City Beach it shows a closing time of 8 p.m. but the information is not on a city sponsored website. The information is also missing from city ordinances and signs at the beach also lacked any operating hours.
“Going forward, and until I can get a revision of a current parks ordinance, or a new ordinance – as a matter of policy we are going to go with the following rule for all city parks and beach areas, the time of use will be sun-up to sun-down, or dawn to dusk seven days a week,” Reaves wrote.
Marine City Manager Michael Reaves.
Those hours will be posted on the city’s website and social media accounts and a sign will also be placed at the beach indicating the hours.
“Our city parks and beach are one of the jewels of the city, and they are heavily used and I wish to promote that use instead of attempting to heavily regulate it,” Reaves said. “Of course, the chief of police and his officers will still maintain the authority to close the beach or park area in times of civil unrest, fighting, over-crowding, or other safety reasons or pre-cautions. This will continue to be within their discretion.”
The memo also noted that the beach restrooms were vandalized again. Reaves noted that the men’s side is now locked but the women’s side is open.
“They vandalize the restrooms quicker than we can repair and clean them and keep them open,” Reaves said. “So, until we can provide another solution, I have directed the DPW Superintendent to have a set of handicapped accessible portable restrooms (porta-potties) delivered to the beach area adjacent to the restrooms.”
The portables will be made available for those people that require restrooms. In the meantime, the regular restrooms will remain closed as city officials continue to look for ways to combat and target harden the restrooms from continuous vandalism, Reaves wrote.
Blue Water Healthy Living posed some questions about the beach issues to Reaves via email.
Blue Water Healthy Living: Regarding the city beach, what were the hours prior to this change?
Marine City Manager Michael Reaves: There was a conflict in the hours. A non-city website for the beach offered a set of hours that was different from our hours.
BWHL: Were they posted at the beach?
Reaves: No, they were not / they will be going forward.
BWHL: Generally, what does the beach offer – lifeguards, swimming buoys to mark the depth, concessions?
Reaves: No life guards. We have swimming buoys in a marked beach area. No concessions at all. Bath house with shower facilities? -No bath house or showers / restrooms only.
BWHL: Is there a charge for using the beach?
Reaves: No
BWHL: So, is it the city police department that’s “patrols” or keeps an eye on what goes on at the beach?
Reaves: Yes. We also have a parks/ beach attendant that cleans up and monitors those areas – they are not security.
BWHL: Is law enforcement supposed to check on swimmers or intercede if things get crowded or rowdy at the beach?
Reaves: L/E does not check on swimmers. Swim at your own risk. L/E does respond regarding over-crowding, or rowdy disorderly behavior at the beach.
BWHL: Closing the restrooms due to vandalism seems like an ongoing problem – how is that being addressed?
Reaves: It has been a difficult process. As soon as the restrooms are repaired – someone / people then damage it. We need to “target harden” the fixtures (similar to a prison like fixtures) We are actively looking into cameras -but that is a reactive response -and does not actually allow us to identify “who” did the damage. It is a very frustrating problem.
BWHL: Does the city have any way of knowing how much the beach is utilized by residents and/or non-residents?
Reaves: No, we do not. It is open to everyone
BWHL: Who is responsible for cleaning up the beach and park area after it’s been busy for a few days in a row?
Reaves: The Parks-Beach attendant & DPW staff. It’s a significant job to cleanup.
BWHL: What’s prohibited on the beach – the usual glass and alcohol or more things too?
Reaves: Glass. alcohol, smoking, cooking /hot coals -usual prohibitions.
