Trenton City Council members say they will look for ways to extend the pool’s hours for the coming year, despite an expected decline in swimming numbers due to the opening of local schools next August.
The pledge came after a gaggle of silver-haired swimmers flocked to Monday night’s regularly scheduled meet to allow a more mature and growing crowd more pool time.
Group spokeswoman Deborah Miller suggested the council increase the pool’s availability for the Senior Swim Club, which she said has nearly doubled in membership. Miller says the group is willing to find a way to cover the associated costs of more time in the pool.
“This pool is a tremendous asset to the community,” Miller told council members. “It’s very therapeutic for us,” noting the number of swimmers in the group who have taken advantage of aquatherapy after surgeries – with positive results. “The gravity-free back training is very important to us,” Miller said.
“August is getting hotter and hotter and many of us would appreciate the whole month,” but Miller told members she understood the potential difficulties, which were more than just financial.
Public Parks Commissioner Terry Powell lamented that the city’s long-standing problem in operating the pool has been the lack of available lifeguards, who have been in greater demand since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miller suggested making the facility more available for necessary lifeguard training to cover both payroll and maintenance costs. She also said hiring temporary lifeguards from nearby LaFayette could help with the staffing issues. Miller pointed out that the LaFayette pool is operating with more than a dozen lifeguards through Sept. 1.
Miller also suggested that Dade Senior Swimmers could purchase annual pool passes, hold charity events or simply increase the daily price of pool access to offset any budget concerns.
Miller says she is aware that the additional costs of operating the municipal pool are about $50 an hour for labor and about $300 a week for pool chemicals.
Trenton Mayor Alex Case says the city government can explore plausible options for longer pool hours when it comes to budgeting for the coming fiscal year. Case says the answer may simply lie in better planning.
In other council business, Police Chief Mike Norris informed the council that another public job posting is expected with the termination of a city police officer who will be moving to another agency. Norris also suggested planned budgeting for two additional patrol positions to handle growing traffic in Trenton, citing shift needs at local manufacturers.
As part of regular city business, the council approved the SPLOST-funded purchase of a 20-foot container for the Trenton Police Department, as well as a $199,850 bid to repave and stripe portions of 1st Street, Court Street, Case Avenue and Oriole Drive.
Council members also approved a separate $50,000 for a joint road construction project with the Dade County Industrial Development Authority for additional paving work needed on Vanguard Drive.
By: Vince Lennen
