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Muskegon City approves multi-year SwimSmart beach warning system to expand on-site lights, buoys and online alerts
Summary
The Muskegon City Commission authorized a four-year contract with SwimSmart Technology to expand electronic beach-warning stations, add buoys and link data to NOAA. Parks Director Konker Chesky said the package (about $24,000/year) aims to launch by Memorial Day and includes community outreach and pier signage options.
The Muskegon City Commission voted to approve a four-year agreement with SwimSmart Technology to expand the city’s beach-warning system and provide continuous maintenance, an online information hub and data-linked buoys.
Konker Chesky, the city’s director of parks and recreation, told the commission the proposal adds warning stations at multiple beach access points, installs buoys that feed real-time data to NOAA in Grand Rapids, and includes a camera to provide a live view of conditions. “This is one more component to the parks capital improvement plan,” Chesky said, and described an online hub and QR-code communications so visitors can check beach status before they go.
The contract is a four-year package that Chesky described as coming in at about $24,000 per year and includes regular servicing and software updates from SwimSmart so the city does not need to scramble for on-demand repairs. The proposal also envisions signage and an outreach campaign, including a children’s mascot, “Sandy the safety seagull,” to help families understand what the lights and symbols mean.
Commissioners asked about additional signage near the pier and whether SwimSmart’s equipment can support rip-current warnings at those specific locations. Chesky said the city has worked with SwimSmart on signage options and can create pier signage in-house or outsource fabrication; the SwimSmart system also offers different pole and cylinder products used at other regional beaches.
The commission approved the motion (moved by Commissioner Saint Clair, supported by Commissioner Jackson) by roll call. Chesky said staff expects to have the expanded system operating by Memorial Day weekend and will pair the technical rollout with a public-education campaign about how to interpret the lights and the online hub.
The contract will connect municipal beach-monitoring data with regional forecasting partners and add a visible layer of on-beach warnings; implementation details and final camera locations will be reported to the commission as staff finalizes the installation plan.
