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Ogdensburg council discusses lifeguard staffing, possible pay bump and pond opening dates amid overtime concerns
Summary
Council members said two lifeguards are available and planned Heaters Pond openings in mid-July; borough CFO warned the schedule 'might cause an overtime issue' and the mayor proposed a $1-per-hour increase to compensate heavy hours, with the council planning to consult a labor attorney and amend the lifeguard resolution if needed.
At the June 12 meeting, Councilwoman Cowdrick said the borough currently has two lifeguards and that "we can pretty much get through the season with two guards," outlining a plan to open Heaters Pond on July 17 with swim lessons scheduled July 10–14 and July 17–21. She said swim-team coverage is arranged but the borough will need to adjust some days if coverage is limited.
Mike Marceau, the borough chief financial officer, cautioned that the proposed schedule "might cause an overtime issue" and suggested consulting the borough's labor attorney to confirm whether consecutive days worked would create an employment-law or collective-bargaining problem.
Mayor George P. Hutnick proposed the council consider raising lifeguard pay by $1 per hour "since they are going to be putting in so much time," and directed that the issue be revisited at the next meeting so the council could amend the previously passed hiring resolution and consider retroactive pay if approved. Council members discussed whether Civil Service rules would require reposting the position; Borough Clerk Robin Hough said the governing body sets the rate of pay and suggested amending the resolution rather than restarting the hiring process.
The discussion concluded with the mayor asking the CFO to contact the labor attorney before finalizing a schedule that would require extended consecutive days or overtime.
Ending: The council will consult the labor attorney and may amend the lifeguard hiring resolution at the next meeting to adjust pay and address any Civil Service posting requirements.
