Latest news with #LodiLake
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Low staffing shuts down Lodi Lake beach, entry fees set to increase
LODI -- At 85 degrees and little to no breeze, it was a perfect day to go out on a boat or take a dip in Lodi Lake. But on Wednesday, swimmers had to stay out of the water. According to the City of Lodi, this is because they are understaffed and don't have enough lifeguards. They had to shut the beach down for three days last week and two days this week. "I'm coming from Stockton. I wouldn't have known that it's closed due to not having the staffing, which is really critical because I wouldn't want my child to go in if there's not the appropriate staffing," Stockton resident Julie Ezqueda said. But that's not all that is impacting lake lovers. Lodi Lake fees are increasing on July 1, just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. "Lodi has never been this expensive," Lodi Resident Gurleen Kaur shared. "We've lived here for over 10 years now and I mean, everything is just double now. It's just double, double, double, but people are not getting paid enough." Here's the new fee breakdown: Entry fees: increasing from $5 to $8 for residents, $10 for nonresidents Annual entry pass: increasing from $50 to $80 for residents, $100 for nonresidents Annual boat launch fees: increasing from $100 to $130 for residents, $156 for nonresidents Entry fees for the beach: $3 for residents, $5 for nonresidents The only fee staying unchanged is the one-time boat launch fee at $13. According to the city, they are increasing fees to match fees at other similar facilities in the region, claiming their fees are about 60% lower in comparison. They also say it'll increase revenue by more than $93,000 annually, which would go towards upkeep of the lake. Regardless, people from near and far worry they won't be able to afford to come to this special lake in Lodi during the hot summer months. "My aunt is a stay-at-home mom so I don't know if that would be something that she would continue to be able to afford," Kaur said. "I know that her kids come here and swim as well, so that's unfortunate to hear that, because everything's going up." Another issue some locals were mentioning was parking. According to them, last year, some days got so packed that neighborhoods were full of parked cars. Some people even parked in others' driveways and worry that this issue will get even worse with the higher costs. CBS Sacramento asked the city and the parks department about these changes, but they were not available to speak for this story.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lodi's budget up 8.35% on rising costs
Jun. 7—The Lodi City Council approved the 2025-26 budget on Wednesday, and staff said the $291 million spending plan reflects an 8.35% increase over last year. The increase was primarily driven by rising staff costs, supplies and materials, staff said. Despite a slowing economy, general fund revenues are expected to see a modest 4.1% increase. "Our budget and finance team has done a great job managing our resources," Mayor Cameron Bregman said. "Because of smart planning and solid reserves, we're in a good spot to handle an uncertain economy without cutting essential services. We'll keep focusing on what matters most — supporting public safety, growing our local economy, and taking care of our proud community." The projected increase in revenues comes from recently approved Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services facility rental rate hikes, as well as an anticipated $560,000 in annual rental income from a new power plant on the south west side of Lodi Lake and $1.7 million of interest income. Reserves will continue to support park improvements, information technology upgrades and vehicle and equipment replacements, staff said. The budget also includes investments in capital infrastructure, deferred maintenance and addressing the city's underfunded pension liabilities. For example, $16.9 million has been allocated to infrastructure projects that include water main rehabilitation, signal improvements at the Ham Lane and Turner Road intersection, security cameras at city parks, the Ham Lane widening project, and transit facility repairs and upgrades. "Operating within a constrained fiscal environment, particularly within the general fund, required deliberate reflection and thoughtful choices to ensure a balanced and responsive plan to sustain our core services," Acting City Manager James Lindsay said. "To align our resources with current market conditions, we implemented a series of mitigations totaling $7.4 million to balance revenue assumptions and expenses." In addition, the budget includes allocating $2.23 million from existing reserves to cover worker's compensation, general liability, and property liability coverage; cutting a proposed $154,000 increase in the Lodi Police Department's part-time budget for pay raises to retired annuitants; reducing department budget requests by about $952,000; and eliminating a proposed $2 million budget for a new facility internal service fund. The 2025-26 draft budget is available online at and the adopted budget book will be available in the coming weeks after approved updates have been completed.
