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Parks and Recreation asks board to cover rising lifeguard and part-time costs as fees, revenue reviewed
Summary
Parks & Recreation presented revenue gains from camps and the pool but warned that minimum-wage hikes and lifeguard shortages are driving part-time and overtime costs; staff proposed modest fee increases and offered to provide program-level revenue and cost breakdowns before finalizing the town budget.
The Town Board heard detailed budget presentations Oct. 22 from Parks & Recreation, which said camp and pool revenue are up but that rising labor costs and lifeguard shortages are squeezing part‑time lines.
Commissioner Joe Lucase told the board that department revenues “are going to exceed what we had projected,” and that day camps and pool operations remain the largest revenue sources. Lucase said staff could model the revenue impact of incremental fee increases so the board could consider modest adjustments rather than a single large hike.
Board members pressed for more transparency on line‑item changes after seeing overtime jump from $15,000 to $25,000 in the recreation budget. Recreation staff explained the increase was a reallocation following a title change rather than a net addition and said the controller’s backup sheets include the detail missing from the printed packet.
Park staff described the operational constraints of opening the indoor pool earlier in the morning, telling the board that a one‑hour earlier opening every day would “equate to about $54,000” annually because of the need for lifeguards, maintenance and reception coverage.
Staff cited the effect of a higher statewide minimum wage and COVID‑related hiring challenges on seasonal pay, saying local wages now lag competing options such as private gyms and contractors. They also said the department has been recruiting internally—training camp participants into lifeguard roles—to improve retention.
Lucase said the department will provide a program‑level cost and revenue breakdown and a proposed fee schedule for board review before the budget adoption deadline, noting the town has until mid‑December to finalize rates and the budget. He also said the department maintains a financial‑aid grid for families and estimated about 30 financial‑aid placements this year.
The board agreed to ask staff and the controller to meet this week to prepare the requested backup documentation and to explore modest fee changes that could increase revenue without causing “sticker shock” for residents.
The item will be revisited as the town finalizes the 2025 budget.
