Austin is progressing on its improvement plan for pools citywide and seeing results from a new-look hiring push for seasonal lifeguards that city leaders called for last year.

The background

The pandemic disrupted the summer 2020 season at Austin pools, and hiring challenges since then led city officials to call for an increased focus on staffing up the parks department’s aquatics division.

With lifeguard staffing lagging last spring, City Council voted to consider new bonus and incentive policies for lifeguards to encourage new hires. And later in the summer, council also voted for a city budget plan that included pay raises for all employees plus a separate directive to spend extra parks department resources on summertime lifeguards and camp counselors.

This March, the parks department said an adjusted recruitment and retention program based on that request could cost between $800,000 and $1 million this year. In the following weeks, the department worked to confirm the new program would fit into its budget and laid out how the extra pay would break down.


Some funding will go toward a bonus structure paying out $250 to employees who work 200 hours during the summer season, another $250 if they hit 300 hours and another $250 if they work 400. Funds will also be used on operational and marketing needs, such as advertising for lifeguard positions as well as covering city training and uniform costs for new hires.

“Implementing the full array of incentives at this point in time will allow the department to expand and capitalize upon the marketing campaign currently underway, increasing the likelihood of a successful recruiting season,” parks department Director Kimberly McNeeley said in an April 11 memo.

The details

The city said 850 lifeguards are needed to staff and operate all of the city’s pools during the summer season. That mark has generally been missed in recent years, but McNeeley said the parks department is “on pace” to meet its goal this year with 621 total applicants as of mid-April, including 278 lifeguards who are already ready to work.
During an April 18 briefing to City Council, McNeeley said updates including a new automated human resources system, reduced barriers to entry for new hires, and the pay and bonus adjustments have helped with staffing so far. She also said the parks department is considering other adjustments aimed at retaining employees once they are brought on.


McNeeley also said the parks department has most of Austin’s pools in good shape heading into summer.

A 2018 master plan for the parks department’s aquatics division pointed to seven pools that needed work. McNeeley said six have received their much-needed renovations with the seventh set to be addressed in the near future.

Still, many other pools are aging out of their typical life cycle of 25 to 30 years, and more improvements will be needed across town in the years ahead.
Many of Austin's aquatic facilities are operating well outside the typical 25- to 30-year lifespan for commercial pools. (Courtesy city of Austin)
Many of Austin's aquatic facilities are operating well outside the typical 25- to 30-year lifespan for commercial pools.
With those in mind and other projects such as the construction of a Colony Park pool underway, McNeeley said the parks department has also realigned some of its aquatics staff and crews and brought on contractors to help with that work.

“This is all great news, so I’m really glad you did the presentation,” Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis said after the briefing. “I know oftentimes we’re getting presentations because there are things we’re trying to work together to solve, but it seems like some of these conversations and initiatives over the past couple years have really been helping.”


While modernizations of old pools and other improvements remain in the department's focus, District 4 Council Member Chito Vela also encouraged the city to support and add smaller splash pads in neighborhood parks when possible to expand residents' water access.