WC Iowa News

The Stuart City Council heard a report on the community's aquatic center and some proposed updates for the summer during the board's meeting on April 10.

Sarah (Chelle) Young, the manager of the center, spoke to the board, discussing the compensation rates for her employees, which she asked to increase. She told the board that she had asked the center's lifeguards in March which of them were returning for the summer, but only four of 16 said they would be coming back, with low wages being the biggest concern. Young made a study of wages of lifeguards in surrounding communities for context, which ranged from $9-$12.50 for first year lifeguards, she told the board, adding that it was likely the center will be short-staffed of lifeguards this year.

"I can do it with a staff of 10 to 12, but we're going to be working, and that's with me lifeguarding and two of my assistant managers have their lifeguard verification, too," she said. "So, we would have to step up in and be lifeguards as well. We need to see new kids come up as well."

Young proposed setting the salary for a first-year lifeguard at $10.50, with 25 cent-per-hour raises for each year of experience. For concessions workers, she said she would like to start at $8 per hour, with the same 25 cent increase for each year that they have worked at the city pool. Those increases would be from $7.25 for concessions and $8 for lifeguards.

Young noted that it's hard to recruit young people and students who typically fill those positions, since they can get paid more per hour working in the food service sector, she told the council.

The council was amenable to the increases, with one suggesting increasing the base lifeguard rate to $11 per hour because it would be more likely to attract students and keep them for multiple summers. Young and her two assistant managers have already created their master schedule for the summer to ensure coverage at all times, she said.

The council approved the new wages for all positions in the aquatic center, and Young advised the council that new lifeguard certification classes would be happening May 28-29 with an opening day of May 31.