The Pleasanton City Council voted on Monday, April 11, to only open the city's swimming pool five days a week. (Photo City of Pleasanton website)
PLEASANTON – The Pleasanton city pool will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays this summer. The decision to close the pool two days a week came at Monday’s city council meeting after City Manager Teresa Whitaker told council members that there weren’t enough applicants for lifeguard positions.
“We don’t have enough lifeguards to cover all the shifts,” she said.
She said the city received only nine applicants for lifeguard positions. She suggested that one of those applicants might be suited to take on assistant manager duties, and she said that another applicant would not be able to begin working until June.
Whitaker initially suggested closing the pool one day a week. She told the council that Mondays and Tuesdays were days that had the smallest attendance. However, she also pointed out that by closing a second day a week, the city would be able to increase wages for the workers.
The council unanimously voted to close the pool for two days each week. It also approved raising the salary for all of the pool workers. The base pay for lifeguards was increased to $9 an hour, the pay for assistant manager increased to $10.50 an hour, and the pay for the pool manager increased to $12.50 an hour.
The council also voted to hire Carol Sabine as the pool manager.
Whitaker told the council that with the council’s votes, she could begin interviewing the lifeguard candidates.
Mayor Mike Frisbie noted that the lifeguard shortage wasn’t only affecting Pleasanton. He said Overland Park was planning to close two of its five swimming pools this year because of the shortage of lifeguards.
“We’re lucky to have a pool and lifeguards,” he said.