Fire rings won’t leave until after Labor Day

The City Council’s decision to reduce the number of fire rings by half won’t take place until after Surf City’s busiest months.

The fire pits are expected to be in place from Monday to Labor Day, and then some will be removed to help fill a $4-million revenue shortage.

The city will reduce the number of rings by 50%, from 167 to 83, to reduce operating costs. The fire rings were part of a more-than-$250,000 cut the Community Services Department made.

City staff cut about $3.4 million from their budget, and unions agreed to make contract changes resulting in $1.4 million in savings.

— Britney Barnes