Parks and Rec prepares to further reduce services
Boulder Parks and Recreation plans to reduce service levels as it continues to struggle to fill open positions across the department.
The department has identified three service level scenarios: ideal, reduced and constrained. Within each, there is a staffing threshold and a specific level of services, operations and programming that could be offered.
For example, in the reduced service level scenario, Parks and Recreation has determined that it would not be able to pull weeds as often. It also could focus on gymnastics programming but not host gymnastics birthday parties, and patrons could expect reduced operational hours at all three recreation centers.
It also expects to have aquatics-specific service reductions, including not opening the Spruce Pool and not offering outdoor pool lessons.
The constrained scenario would include even further reductions.
Parks and Recreation is evaluating service levels every two weeks, Parks and Recreation Director Ali Rhodes said. It expects to make a decision about the beginning of its summer season by May 16.
The department for 2022 budgeted as if it would be operating at full capacity. For the aquatics department, this means about 150 lifeguards instead of the 80 it currently employs.
“We want to be as explicit as possible about what the community will see in our facilities this summer, so that they can plan accordingly,” Rhodes said.
“It’s really hard on everyone to be reducing service levels,” she added.
While the aquatics department is particularly understaffed, the problem persists across Parks and Recreation, particularly in seasonal roles. The Boulder Reservoir needs more lifeguards and boat inspectors. There’s a shortage of camp counselors and other seasonal roles in the city’s parks.
Safety is the main concern, the department noted. Without the appropriate number of lifeguards and camp counselors, it’s forced to reduce operations.
And Boulder is not alone in its struggle.
“This is not just a Boulder issue,” Rhodes said. “It’s a nationwide and statewide issue and certainly a local issue.”
Indeed, according to a December 2021 article put out by the National Parks and Recreation Association, parks and recreation agencies across the country are competing with privatesector employers for workers and private-sector employers also have been unable to fill openings.
In Boulder and across the country, parks and recreation departments are struggling to hire for a variety of reasons, including lapsed lifeguard certifications, a decline in youth interested in BPR roles, or youth choosing not to work over summer vacation and instead opting to travel, the department noted in a news release.
Evan Ravitz is among those who frequents the North Boulder Recreation Center to swim. He wrote to the Boulder City Council at the end of 2021 expressing his discontent about the reduced hours at the pool. Last fall, the city significantly reduced weekday pool hours because of the lifeguard shortage.
“I’ve paid for an annual pass for four years, which is about 50% more expensive now than when I started,” he wrote. “But now the main draw at the rec center for me is closed almost half time.”
Boulder raised its minimum wage for lifeguards to $15.25 an hour and it offers more than that for those with experience, including several benefitted positions.
“We are very much struggling to fill those,” Rhodes said.
For Rhodes, it’s at least in part continued fallout from the pandemic, which forced departments to furlough lifeguards and close pools.
“It’s going to take a while to recover,” she said.