The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Staffing a small-town pool has proven to be a difficult task for the City in recent years. According to Deputy City Clerk Kelly Steinhoff, the issues of training and retaining the part-time pool lifeguards and managers has been a challenge to safe operations.

The part-time workers at the pool typically clock 25-30 hours a week with a pay range of $12.50-$13.50 hourly. "Many teens find that they can earn more money with an agricultural job, or one with longer hours," she said, which makes finding workers difficult. In addition, all lifeguards must be certified, a timely process that require...