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Council authorizes additional aquatic staff and adopts pay-plan resolution
Summary
Milton-Freewater voted to hire four lifeguards and two aquatic specialists and adopted "Resolution Amending the Aquatic Center Employee Pay Plan" (next in order, 2609), responding to reported staff burnout and uncompetitive wages.
The Milton-Freewater City Council authorized hiring to expand Aquatic Center staffing and unanimously adopted a resolution to amend the center’s pay plan at a June 22, 2026 special meeting.
Pool Manager Russell Woodward told councilors the Aquatic Center has 14 staff earning $14.05 an hour, which he described as uncompetitive compared with wages at the Walla Walla Memorial Pool. He said expanded programming had added sessions and classes, and that staff were experiencing extreme burnout; he reported 7.3% of total hours worked in the last two weeks (out of 1,276 total hours) were overtime. Woodward requested authorization to hire four additional lifeguards and two aquatic specialists and to raise aquatic specialist pay to $16.00 per hour.
Councilor John Lyon moved to authorize the Finance Director to sign for hiring up to four lifeguards and two aquatic specialists within the designated budget until the new City Manager is in place; Councilor Destiny Jensen seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Lyon also moved to adopt "Resolution Amending the Aquatic Center Employee Pay Plan," listed in the minutes as next in order (2609); Jensen seconded and the resolution passed unanimously.
Woodward said he would provide the council an Excel spreadsheet with supporting details. The resolution changes the Aquatic Center employee pay plan as recorded in the council minutes; the minutes do not list the resolution text beyond the title and number.
