Committee tables action on Barrier Island beach-patrol contract as negotiations continue

The Ways and Means Committee tabled action on a proposed renewal of the town’s beach-patrol contract after members said they had not reached agreement with the vendor on terms and pricing and preferred negotiations be handled outside the public meeting.

Committee discussion focused on the vendor known in the record as Barrier Island (referred to in testimony as "Barrier Island Ocean Rescue"), which several members noted is one of a very small number of providers for beach services. "They're about the only game in town," one committee member said, urging sensitivity to a small, local business that "hasn't raised their rates in years." The member said the numbers he had seen "seem pretty reasonable" given inflation since the last contract.

The chair said the mayor’s office is responsible for public negotiation and expressed concern about negotiating in public: "we don't wanna negotiate in public," he said, adding that the town should respect the mayor’s administrative role. Staff told the committee that legal review of contract language is under way and that the vendor’s submitted figure "represented a significant increase for same level of service over the status quo," while also calling it "within a range of reasonability."

Warner Rob, a public commenter who said he represents a small company that provides existing service, told the committee the firm submitted a price on the town’s template but was later given "three additional versions" of the contract with changes that required outside counsel review. "That has undermined our confidence in the good faith of the town," Rob said, asking the committee to allow time for his company’s attorney to complete its review.

Committee members debated procedural options — whether to add the item to the town-council agenda by the required two-thirds vote, whether to take immediate action, or to table the matter for further negotiation. Staff member (speaker 3) moved to table the new-business item; the motion was seconded and the committee conducted a voice vote. The chair declared the item tabled and said the mayor would continue negotiations "as expeditiously as possible" and the committee could call a special meeting if an agreement on terms is reached.

A committee member clarified the contract that is expiring on the 6th covers beach patrol services, not code enforcement; members discussed a contingency plan for leash-law and beach-rule enforcement if the contract lapses, noting that day-time municipal code-enforcement staff can supplement beach patrol duties while the town develops next steps.

The committee did not adopt any new contract terms at the meeting. The immediate next steps recorded in the meeting were continued negotiations led by the mayor’s office and the possibility of a special meeting to consider any finalized agreement.