Pleasanton pool opens after repairs, council votes to pay lifeguards for work prior to opening

Students from last year's summer program try their hands at making cardboard boats at the Pleasanton municipal swimming pool last year. (Photo by Sarah Conley / Special to the Journal)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

PLEASANTON – The Pleasanton municipal swimming pool finally opened on Wednesday, June 17, and to celebrate the delayed opening pool manager Morgan Wills announced that it would be a free day for swimmers.

Originally slated to open on May 28, unforeseen repairs were needed once the opening day neared.

At its meeting on Monday, June 15, city council approved paying lifeguards a total of about $3,000 for their work in cleaning around the pool leading up to Wednesday’s opening.

“I believe that the lifeguards should be compensated for the time that they would have worked had the pool opened on May 28 and stayed open through June 7,” Wills said in a report to the council.

“I think it would be the right thing to do for the lifeguards since they all took this job to earn some money during the summer, and they have not been able to do that yet with the pool needing repairs that prevented it from being open,” she added.

Seven of the 11 lifeguards put in anywhere from 40 to 64 hours during that period.

Jimmy Watts, public works staff member, reported at the June 1 council meeting that a valve was broken and he was trying to locate parts.

At the June 15 meeting, Councilmember Rochelle Schreckhise said that because of the delay in opening the pool, it should remain open longer in the season, but no action was taken on that comment.

Mayor Mathew Young did say that he had been with BG Consultants’ staff and pool experts during a recent tour of the pool. The council has asked BG Consultants to draw up specifications to upgrade the pool.

The council also approved opening the pool without charge during the Stars and Stripes event on July 4 and also giving passes to students in the Pleasanton Elementary School’s summer reading program.