May 30, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Swimming Pool – Bigfoot99 file photo
Tempers flared during lifeguard hiring discussions in Saratoga at Friday’s special town council meeting.
The meeting was called to address staffing shortages at the pool. Mayor Chuck Davis said the meeting would only deal with matters related to the pool and the hiring of lifeguards. Councilwoman Kathy Beck presented the proposed candidates and their salaries.
Councilwoman Beck also said the town should rehire two aquatic fitness instructors. The councilwoman said the instructors have a contract saying they are to be paid $15 per class they teach and an additional $2 per attendee. Councilman Jerry Fluty asked how much people pay to attend the fitness classes. Councilwoman Beck said participants pay $5 a class unless multiple sessions are purchased at once.
The council voted unanimously to hire the lifeguards and additional staff for the pool.
During the May 16th meeting, Councilwoman Kathy Beck motioned to have the town hire additional lifeguards and provide returning staff with raises. The councilwoman’s motion died for lack of a second. In a social media post and a letter to the local newspaper, councilwoman Beck said the pool could not open without adequate lifeguard coverage.
After the voting was finished at Friday’s meeting, Councilman Mike Cooley asked to make a statement. Addressing Councilwoman Beck’s post, Councilman Cooley said the pool was never in danger of not opening.
Councilman Cooley accused Beck of creating a problem where none existed. Councilwoman Beck said the council’s inaction during the last meeting genuinely put the opening of the pool in question.
Councilwoman Beck said the pool can’t open without adequate staff. Cooley said the councilwoman couldn’t have known for certain the pool would be understaffed after the last council meeting. Cooley said he strongly disapproved of Councilwoman Beck’s decision to involve social media and the local newspaper in town council matters.
Councilman Jerry Fluty said the council rejected Beck’s motion because it combined the hiring of pool staff with increased wages. Councilman Fluty said the town is facing a serious budget deficit and may not be able to sustain the raises heading into the upcoming fiscal year. The councilman said the motion would have been successful if it had only addressed hiring lifeguards.
Councilman Jerry Fluty said the town needs to make cuts across the board and no other departments would be receiving wage increases. He said Councilwoman Beck appeared unwilling to compromise on her demand for lifeguard raises. Councilwoman Beck said the rest of the council could have easily presented an amendment to eliminate the raises from the motion.
Councilman Jerry Fluty said the town couldn’t promise any wage increases until after the budget was finalized. Councilwoman Beck said she understood, but her responsibility was to ensure the town’s recreation department is properly staffed.
Councilman Jacob Fluty asked Councilwoman Beck why she didn’t amend her own motion after it failed to garner a second. The councilwoman said she was too stunned to act. She said her fellow council members could have offered a revised motion of their own.
The meeting became tense as Councilman Cooley accused Beck of being unreasonable. Councilman Jerry Fluty said the councilwoman was badmouthing them to other town personnel. Accusations and insults were made. Mayor Davis quickly brought the meeting to order.
Mayor Davis said the entire town council supports the recreation department. The mayor said he personally asked the town’s previous rec director, Sarah Laughlin, to reduce the price of pool usage. Mayor Davis said the pool loses money every year and the town needs to ensure the budget can support it.
Mayor Davis said the pool brought in $20,119.70 last year and cost the town $40,616.51 to run.
Councilman Cooley said he wasn’t opposed to giving the lifeguards raises. He said the town needs to establish a balanced budget before talking about salary increases.
Councilwoman Beck said the rec department is primarily funded through grants. She suggested the town hire a recreation director adept at procuring grant money. The councilwoman said her social media post did not suggest taking money from other departments to fund the rec department. She said her letter was a call to action for Saratoga residents and not an attack on the town council.
Mayor Davis said he did not agree with Councilwoman Beck’s use of the media to voice her concerns. The mayor said previous town council members used similar tactics and no good came from it. Mayor Davis said town issues need to be discussed and resolved during town council meetings.
With that said, Mayor Davis adjourned the meeting. The town’s pool will be staffed and ready to open as soon as the river waters recede.
