A resolution from District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis aimed at addressing a "critical" staff shortage at Austin pools will be up for consideration at council's March 24 meeting. If approved, Ellis said the direction could see the city consider pay raises, bonuses and waived fees for lifeguards and other seasonal employees in an attempt to fill gaps and clear barriers in the hiring process. A report on those issues would be due to council by April 7.
“Swimming is synonymous with summer. If we can’t hire enough lifeguards for the season, Austinites will not have access to our local pools,” Ellis said in a statement. “For the past two years, many pools have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain and contractor challenges. Now that repairs and improvements have been completed, the only remaining impediment to opening our pools is fully staffing them with trained lifeguards.”
The hiring efforts come in response to closures and staffing shortfalls through the pandemic, the city said, as well as ongoing workforce shortages nationwide. Hundreds of seasonal positions have yet to be filled in Austin this year, and the anticipated shortfall has already prompted twice-a-week closures at Barton Springs Pool beginning this month.
"Our goal is to open all pools in Austin when the needed number of lifeguards have been hired and trained. Until then, a modified pool schedule will be in effect that will take into consideration equitable access the city," Aquatic Division Manager Jodi Jay said in an email.
Austin brought on 700-865 lifeguards from 2017-19 but reached around 500 last summer due to the pandemic, an extended hiring freeze and training class size limits. As of March 18, the city said it had 134 lifeguards on hand and ready to work. The city estimates 750 guards are needed to keep its 33 public pools fully staffed. Additionally, around 330 employees are needed to run Austin's various summer camps and playground programming.
Despite the shortfall, Jay said the parks department remains "optimistic" that the city's push can fill its needed staffing slots for full pool operations this year. According to the parks department, staffing issues forced closures at 22 neighborhood pools in 2020 and 14 last year.
Ellis, a former lifeguard, joined the parks and recreation department March 18 for a lifeguard hiring event in South Austin. The parks department launched a recruitment campaign for staffing at city pools with an advertised pay rate of $15 per hour, and this year it is also offering $500 bonuses to all guards who work through the full summer season.
"Working my way through the ranks of lifeguarding from trainee to instructor taught me valuable lessons and was a fun job to have in my high school and college years. And it’s even a great job for adults!" Ellis said in a March 11 message board post. "We need to get creative so that we can enjoy all of our pools in all parts of town as the summer heats up."
More information about lifeguarding jobs is available through the city's website.
