County and City Compromise on Funding Beach Services : Government: Supervisors vote to continue lifeguards’ pay and maintenance through June 30 after Hermosa Beach agrees to subsidize costs.

After months of threatening to pull lifeguards and some beach-groomers out of Hermosa Beach over a funding dispute, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to continue the services through June 30.

The vote came after the Hermosa Beach City Council reluctantly offered to contribute $107,000 annually to help pay for the services, reducing the county’s annual costs for them to $1.2 million.

County officials hope the agreement will act as a model for negotiations with other beach cities, including Redondo Beach, Avalon and Manhattan Beach.

Hermosa Beach officials, who wanted a five-year contract, remain somewhat unsatisfied with the new agreement.

“We didn’t agree to make those concessions so they can come back at any time and ask for more,” said Mayor Sam Y. Edgerton. “If they’re going to come back every six months and request additional money or services, it really makes this whole process pretty silly.”

County and Hermosa Beach officials have been feuding over funding since last summer, when the county, facing its biggest fiscal crisis, announced it could no longer afford to provide guards and maintenance crews at beaches it did not own. A complete withdrawal of funds would have forced Hermosa to provide the services on its own or have the state step in.

The county said it would need at least $200,000 in cash and subsidies to continue guarding and cleaning the city-owned beach. Hermosa officials, who contend the city already pays nearly $300,000 in beach-related costs, balked at the request, saying residents already pay more than their fair share in taxes to support beach services.

The agreement reached Tuesday calls for the city to

pay restroom maintenance costs and to allow the county to expand marketing programs along the beach. These two moves are expected to save or generate $107,000 in annual revenue for the county.

The marketing programs, such as those in Santa Monica and other parts of the county, include the installation of sun shelters, bike racks, benches and volleyball nets that bear advertising. The city also said it would allow the county to put up banners touting upcoming events on light posts along The Strand.

Stan Wisniewski, director of the county Department of Beaches and Harbors, said the concessions from Hermosa show the city is “operating in good faith with the county.”

But city officials said the supervisors’ refusal to sign a long-term agreement could send both sides back to the bargaining table.

“If (six months) is all they can agree to, then that may be as far as we may extend their marketing programs,” said Councilman John Bowler.

The county is now drawing up policy guidelines and a long-term funding plan for lifeguards and maintenance crews on beaches it does not own.

Wisniewski declined to say whether the plan, which is due by mid-February, will require beach cities to pay more for lifeguards and cleaning crews.

“I think we’re OK in ‘93-’94, thanks to the Board of Supervisors and the cooperation that we’re expecting to get from the cities and internal (county) sources,” Wisniewski said this week. “But ‘94-’95 is going to be a difficult year.”