Derry reduces summer schedule, hikes lifeguard pay, receives donations to help keep pool open

Derry Community Pool is moving forward with its summer season, but with a reduced schedule.

After a shortage of lifeguards caused borough officials to close the public swimming pool several days in late June, Derry Council on Tuesday agreed to trim back the facility’s schedule to six days each week — remaining closed on Mondays.

That will give the limited staff of teen lifeguards a guaranteed day off work, Councilman Nathan Bundy said.

“It gives them a break so that they’re not at the pool seven days a week,” said Barbara Phillips, council president.

Phillips said the borough also is shoring up its contingent of lifeguards. Two were expected this week to complete required certification and join the existing roster of six.

To help with attracting and retaining lifeguards, council approved a new pay scale that provides higher wages than those set for other pool staff.

“We understand that they are responsible for lives at the pool and they should be paid differently,” Phillips said of the guards.

The increases, retroactive to the beginning of the current season, now pay lifeguards $10.50 per hour during their first year of employment, $11.50 in the second year and $12 in the third year. That’s up from previous respective hourly pay rates of $9, $10 and $10.50.

An hourly raise from $11 to $12.50 was granted to each of two head lifeguards, who oversee the other guards on separate shifts when an assistant manager isn’t available. The assistant manager, who is in charge of all lifeguards on the staff, now is paid $13.50 per hour, up from $12.

The pay scales for front desk and concession workers still begin at $9 per hour during the first year.

Two donations from Derry community members totaling $3,500 have been critical in preserving pool operations this summer. “It’s lifesaving for the pool,” said Bundy.

Without that financial support, Phillips said, “We would probably be either looking at closing other days or maybe even closing for the entire season.”

The money will be applied toward the lifeguard pay hikes and to cover the cost of up to $300 each for first-time certification of lifeguards and a lesser amount for periodic recertification.

Phillips said the decision to close the pool on Mondays was based on input from staff, who said fewer patrons tend to show up on that weekday.

“That’s kind of our slimmest day for swimmers, so it just made sense,” she said.

Because a combination of rainy weather and staffing shortages caused the pool to open later than expected this season and to close on multiple days, council agreed to offer a full refund to those who paid $250 for a multi-person season pass and opt to turn it back in. Those who decide to hold on to their pass will be offered a 10% discount on purchases from the concession stand.

The borough is considering developing a comprehensive plan for keeping the pool viable into the future.

Phillips noted the pool has annually lost money, finishing the 2024 season with a $3,000 deficit. She said Derry officials would like it to break even so it doesn’t become a financial drain on the borough budget.

“If we’re going to make our pool viable, we have to do something out of the box,” she said. “Part of it is we need to make our pool a destination, something that people want to come to.”

She said some people have expressed disappointment that the Derry pool lacks a slide, a feature removed a few years ago because it had deteriorated and was no longer deemed safe for kids.

“We could spend $30,000 to $50,000 on a slide, but that’s a very generic one,” Phillips said.

On a more basic level, she said, the pool could stand resurfacing and the borough soon will need to replace the fire suppression system in the concession stand and a computer that regulates chemicals added to the pool water.

Operating the pool is a financial and staffing balancing act that includes keeping admission rates competitive with those charged by neighboring towns that have public pools.

Phillips calculated that closing the pool one day per week should save as much as $500 in wages, At the same time, the payroll is increasing by about $730 per month because of the new pay hike, Bundy said.

“It’s a struggle every year to keep our pool open,” Phillips said.