Negotiations amongst the City of Jacksonville Beach front and the Volunteer Lifetime Saving Corps have appear to an close following working together considering the fact that 1912.
This will come just after the city and the VLSC attempted to achieve an arrangement for months.
The volunteers had worked on Sundays and holiday seasons, even though the guards used by the city labored Monday as a result of Saturday.
In 2021 the U.S. Division of Labor located that the connection amongst the VLSC and the city’s paid lifeguards violated federal legislation because of to town-used guards volunteering their time.
“Our program was to have an all-volunteer workforce with no overlap with the paid guards,” mentioned Tim Saggau with the VLSC.
That would’ve integrated retired lifeguards. “They volunteered to get re-properly trained,” he explained “It’s like a camaraderie, it is really hard to describe.
On March 9, 2022, the metropolis sent a 9-month see to the VLSC about the end of the agreement.
Nevertheless, on Tuesday, Mike Staffopoulos, Jacksonville Beach’s metropolis manager sent a letter to the VLSC’s board of administrators. The letter states that the city can no for a longer period transfer ahead with the partnership.
Tim Saggau Letter to COJB Town Manager 4-6-22 (00404096-2) by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
“The City employees shall have distinctive use of any Town equipment, and that the Metropolis shall have distinctive use of the Station and its grounds during the City’s typical Ocean Rescue functioning hours to lessen interference with working day to day operations,” Staffopoulos wrote.
The city barred the VLSC access to the station, even changing the locks to the constructing.
“Nobody has a appropriate to do that,” Saggau asserted.
The station has historically been a shared area. The metropolis told Motion Information Jax that the barred access is effective promptly.
The city statements that on Sunday all over 50 members of the VLSC showed up at the station to disrupt and interfere with the operate of metropolis staff members. It described their steps as “disruptive” and “unprofessional.”
Saggau with the VLSC shared a letter with Motion Information Jax that rejects the claim and other promises of harassment.
“The claim that this graduation ceremony disrupted education is ludicrous,” he informed Action News Jax on Monday.
Discover to VLSC 4.5.22 by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
“I was there as I have been for lots of graduations in the previous 50 years,” Saggau wrote. “We did not ‘descend’ but simply rode bikes or walked to rejoice the entrance into the VLSC of our Winter season Class candidates. Their people have been also there. We did not ‘disrupt and interfere’ but just celebrated the new VLSC members as we have performed for around 100 a long time. Hardly ever have all those functions interfered with lifeguard services.”
In Staffopoulos’ letter to the VLSC, he also tackled the use of the station.
“It is the City’s understanding, through conversations with the VLSC and the American Red Cross, that no arrangement exists amongst the two functions offering VLSC entry to the Station, and that the VLSC is granted access to the Station only through the 2016 Settlement concerning the Town and the VLSC,” Staffopoulos wrote.
Saggau pointed out that the 2016 settlement, states that the VLSC and metropolis might each carry out pursuits from the station.
“Neither agreement contemplates that a person party or the other controls access to the station but fairly that we are all in a position to use it for our respective wants,” Saggau wrote. “The compensated guards and the VLSC have taken care of Station obtain for 90 years with tiny or no interference from the Metropolis Supervisor.”
The VLSC has requested the metropolis to answer to their concerns by noon on Monday and has also asked the metropolis to provide accessibility codes to the station quickly.
“This is our beach. This is wherever we have been for 110 many years, because 1912 and this is where by we want to be,” Saggau emphasised.
Jacksonville Seashore will even now have guards seven days a 7 days and on holiday seasons.
Action Information Jax attained out to Staffopoulos’ place of work on Monday, April 11, nevertheless his business knowledgeable us he was not readily available to discuss on any updates relating to this subject ahead of our deadline of 10:30 a.m. We adopted up to request a published assertion or an job interview at a later time, and we have not heard back nevertheless.
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