The city has hosted several hiring events to fill vacancies at city parks and recreation facilities, and on April 22 the city expanded its hiring practices for lifeguards to include 15-year-old applicants.
However, as the summer approaches and vacancies have gone unfilled, Stacey Dicke, parks and recreation director for the city, said the department made the decision to adjust some summer facility and camp operations.
“Our top two priorities were lifeguards at the Tube Chute and conducting our Camp Minnehaha,” Dicke said. “We know that families depend on that for day care for school-aged kids during the summer while they're at work.”
The camp has approximately 200 children registered for each week of camp this summer, she said, and registration filled up within two minutes of opening on April 1.
According to a city press release, the Fischer Park Nature Camp will also continue operations this summer while specialty camps, such as Secret Agent Academy and Outdoor Skills Camp scheduled to take place in June, have been canceled.
Staff originally slated to operate those camps will transition to Camp Minnehaha, Dicke said, and the city will continue to hire new staff.
In mid-June the city will re-evaluate the possibility of holding specialty camps in July and August, according to the release.
The city has also postponed the opening of the Landa Park Aquatic Complex from the first weekend of May to Memorial Day weekend in an effort to recruit, hire and train more lifeguards for the facility.
Swim lessons at the aquatic complex in June have also been canceled due to a lack of water safety instructors, and in June the city will re-evaluate its ability to hold swim lessons later in the summer.
The Tube Chute will have lifeguards on duty during weekends in May and throughout the summer, according to the release.
“My top hope is that we can recruit and hire additional staff to really be able to offer the programs that we have scheduled for July and not have to cancel anything else,” Dicke said. “We know that our staff are going to have days off, or they're going to want to take a week vacation with their family. And we sure would like to have a deeper bench for when those times come.”
Applications for positions are available online, and the city will host another hiring event for lifeguards, park rangers, camp counselors and other seasonal staff on May 14 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Landa Park Aquatic Complex.
Starting pay for positions ranges from $12-$17 per hour, according to the release, and new hires are eligible for the city’s $250 hiring incentive. Aquatics staff are also eligible for an end-of-season incentive of up to $300.
