WESTBOROUGH – For the second straight summer, there will be no lifeguards at the Lake Chauncy beach.
Recreation Department Director Jenn Kirkland told the Select Board during its June 27 meeting that there were not enough applicants to adequately staff the beach.
“It’s still a huge problem we’re all facing,” said Kirkland. “Lifeguard staffs are hard to come by.”
She said the department was seeking 12-15 lifeguards in order to staff the beach seven days a week.
Kirkland said that the department had 17 potential lifeguard applicants in April; of that number, half did not respond to the department. Of the remaining number, seven had applied, and four declined the job offer.
According to Kirkland, potential lifeguards are often drawn to better-paying jobs or internships.
The starting pay for lifeguards is $16 per hour, she said.
Because of the lack of lifeguards, the beach will be open “Town Hall hours,” said Kirkland – Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
A lack of staff will also force the closure of the bathrooms.
“I’m not comfortable opening the bathrooms,” said Kirkland.
She cited incidents of vandalism when the bathrooms were previously left open without staff supervision.
She said there will be an extra porta-potty available at the lake’s parking lot.
She added that trash collection and water testing will be done on a regular basis.
For updates, visit https://westboroma.myrec.com/info/default.aspx.
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