Plan to fix lifeguard shortage at Palm Springs pool faces backlash from residents as closures persist
Palm Springs resident Jeff Nelson said he received an email this morning from the Palm Springs Swim Center regarding the temporary closure of the pool today.
The email stated that staff at the facility hoped to reopen by 12PM today and that work was being done "to check systems and clean-up from last night’s storm." The email also stated that all reservations would be cancelled, and urged guests to call before heading to the center.
However, according to Rick Mignault, who coaches a local swim team and frequently uses the pool, said he went to the pool at noon, "only to be advised at the time" that the pool would remain closed for the remainder of the day due to staffing issues.
News Channel has reached out to City officials regarding the matter and are awaiting a response.
"The pool has been closed a lot. I think there were 7 or 8 days during the month of January that it was unexpectedly closed, and obviously here we are in February. It's closed today, it's supposed to be closed tomorrow, so we're really disappointed that they can't reliably keep it open," according to Nelson.
Prior to today, Amy Blaisdel, a spokeswoman with the City of Palm Springs, confirmed that the pool was closed on Sunday, January 29 for a planned swim meet and was closed on Saturday, January 28 due to a staffing shortage.
Blaisdel also said that The City was in the process of recruiting additional lifeguards through a temp agency, and would be recruiting and training lifeguards through a new Trainee Program being developed.
During a City Council meeting on February 9, Assistant City Manager Teresa Galvan provided an update on staffing at the swim center. Galvan said one temporary lifeguard had been hired and already started working at the pool. She said two additional temporary lifeguards would be starting "in the next two weeks."
Regarding recruitment efforts to hire staff for permanent positions with The City, Galvan said human resources launched a "multifaceted promotional campaign involving social media, radio, job boards, and a career fair" in order to fill current vacancies. Additionally, she said screenings, which will include a swim test and interview, will be held on March 7.
Galvan said the City's Parks and Recreation Department has been "analyzing the overall staffing needs at the swim center to better support" operations and the needs of the community.
Finally, Galvan said there are plans to bring back a request for council at the first meeting in March to "look at additional positions" for the swim center.
Despite steps already outlined by The City to address the staffing issues, both Jeff Nelson and Rick Mignault said they are concerned with the lack of leadership specifically dedicated to handling the needs at the pool, as well as lack of reliable programming.
"This is a multimillion dollar aquatic center, and they're running it, truly, like a wading pool," said Mignault.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continued updates.
