Lifeguard Shortage To Likely Force Early Closure Of Richmondville Pool

By Chris English

RICHMONDVILLE — Unless more lifeguarding help can be found, the Village of Richmondville Swimming Pool will be closing for the season Aug. 10, about three weeks earlier than originally planned.

New Village Clerk-Treasurer Jenifer Fisher gave notice of the likely early closure at the Monday, July 21 Board of Trustees meeting and in comments made afterward.

Fisher said the Aug. 10 closing is not 100 percent certain and she is trying to find help but that, as of now, that's the way it will be. The pool normally stays open through the end of August.

Fisher, Village Mayor Carl Warner Jr. and the Trustees said trouble finding lifeguards is not unique to Richmondville but a problem at pools across the region. One of the disincentives to being a lifeguard is the approximate total of $400 it takes to get certified as a lifeguard every other year and be certified in CPR and First Aid every year, Richmondville board members said.

While Village Pool lifeguards are eventually reimbursed for those costs, it would be helpful if they didn't have that initial outlay, Trustee Robert Hyatt suggested. Warner added that maybe lifeguard jobs could be more aggressively promoted in Cobleskill-Richmondville schools. Trustee Lisabeth Kabel said it might be helpful to post information on and promote lifeguard jobs on Facebook.

Fisher said there are six lifeguards at the Richmondville Pool, two of whom also work at a pool in Otsego County and another who also works another job. The pool is normally open 1-7 p.m. every day but Fisher said the lifeguard situation has forced it to close on a handful of days this summer. Adding to lifeguard staffing challenges is the fact that many are college students who have to leave early to get back to their schools.

Richmondville Pool lifeguards earn $16 an hour, 50 cents more than the state's minimum wage.

In other actions from the July 21 meeting, Warner appointed Fisher as the new clerk-treasurer, succeeding Hope Bayes, who resigned last month after about five years on the job. Fisher's appointment was then approved by the full board.

She had been Deputy Clerk for the last three years and will serve as clerk-treasurer until December by virtue of Monday's appointment but must be reappointed in January to keep the job.

Warner and Richmondville Power & Light Director Tim Smith went over a list of bullet points supporting a rate case before the state Public Service Commission for a possible hike in RPL rates, something that has not happened in many years.

Among the bullet points and reasons for a hike are the costs of new equipment needed and the need to keep wages reasonably competitive with utilities across the state, among other reasons.

There was a discussion on revamping the quarterly village newsletter that is mailed to all RPL customers and is also available at the municipal building on Main Street. Kabel said the newsletter tends to be overly repetitive and among her suggestions was putting in more information on rules and policies that people moving into the area might not know and should be aware of. Kabel said she would be willing to work with Fisher and others on possible revisions.

Trustee Milan Jackson agreed to be part of a committee that will review several applications for a cleaning position in the village and help the board come to a decision on the best person for the job.

"These are all people in the village, so the job will help someone local," Warner said.

The board also voted to extend for a week a successful village arts and crafts program.

At the end of the meeting, the board voted to acknowledge receipt of a $78,995 bid from Air Cleaning Systems for a new exhaust system for the Richmondville Firehouse. It will be funded with a grant the village received.

The board will vote on actually accepting the bid after Fire Department officials check to see if it meets all guidelines and specifications.