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Parks director outlines Franklin Park final meeting, summer hiring and aquatics staffing plans
Summary
The parks director reported a final Franklin Park public meeting on April 30 and described summer hiring plans, volunteer tree plantings, expanded playground programming and lifeguard recruitment challenges and age requirements.
The Allentown City Parks and Recreation director briefed the committee on recent community events, the Franklin Park planning schedule and summer staffing plans.
The director said the department held a well-attended egg hunt at Jordan and a public event at Franklin Park that generated feedback for the park plan. She announced a final public meeting about Franklin Park on April 30 at 6 p.m. at the church in Franklin Park, saying this will be the last major opportunity for public comment before the plan moves to a final design.
On staffing, the director told the committee the department is hiring for seasonal roles and expects to fill many positions with Allentown students and residents. She said summer playgrounds will be open to Allentown residents with free sign-up for children, and the department is adding field trips, pool trips and swim lessons this year. Volunteer tree plantings (one scheduled for the 11th) and Arbor Day cleanups are also planned.
During questioning, a committee member asked whether the department still struggles to find lifeguards. The director said interest is high but candidates must pass a swim test and a certification course; the department has started recruitment earlier, uses returning lifeguards as trainers, and offers competitive pay that helps retention. She estimated a roughly 70% return rate among lifeguards. The director gave age guidelines: cashiers and lifeguards can be as young as 15, summer playground staff typically 16 or older, and manual labor positions require applicants to be 18 because of equipment operation.
The director said staff do outreach at local schools, mentioning Allen and Dieruff and working with the Allington School District during lunch periods to encourage students to apply. The committee asked for further details on hiring and staffing practices; the transcript records the exchange but no new policy directives were issued at the meeting.
The meeting adjourned after the updates.
