City Incentivizes Lifeguard Jobs
It’s no secret that municipalities around the country have had trouble finding qualified lifeguards in recent years, and Pickerington has been no exception. In response to the shortage, City leadership has made the job more attractive to prospective applicants by offering increased pay and reimbursement for the required certifications for the 2022 season.
In 2021, first-year lifeguards at the Pickerington Community Pool were paid $9.05/hour. In 2022 the pay for a first-year lifeguard will be $13/hour, a nearly $4.00 hourly increase. A second-year lifeguard will make $14/hour and a lifeguard returning for a third year (or more) will be paid $15/hour.
“Lifeguards are vital to the operation of the pool and we felt it necessary to increase the hourly wage to align with similar seasonal jobs,” says City Manager Greg Butcher.
Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Medinger says a job at the pool is an opportunity to gain experience that will be transferrable.
“The general skills you learn and hone, such as teamwork, communication, responsibility and time management, will transfer to any other job or career field,” she says.
Returning pool staff also have an opportunity to progress into a managerial role through committed years of service.
Applicants for management positions need to be at least 18 years old. For all other lifeguard positions the minimum age requirement is 16. A complete list of qualifications and job requirements can be found on the City’s website, www.pickerington.net. Upon hiring, the City will reimburse those that get the required lifeguard training and certification.
A job with the City of Pickerington, even if seasonally, can earn retirement benefits with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. Medinger says it’s also a great resume builder for high school, college and professional positions.
To fill out an application, visit www.pickerington.net.
Looking for a way to give back to your community? Volunteers are needed for the 2nd Annual Earth Day clean-up on Friday, April 22. The initiative was started last year when Pickerington City leaders, staff and community volunteers came together to pick up litter at multiple locations around the city. An estimated two tons of litter was collected in one day. Email help@pickerington.net if you’re interested in helping with this year’s effort.
Paving Maintenance Program Continues
The City of Pickerington has invested millions of dollars into its pavement infrastructure within the past few years. This commitment has resulted in a vast majority of city streets having newer pavement. Additionally, the City’s annual pavement maintenance programs have repaired curb and gutter along with catch basins, all integral to stormwater management.
“Our pavement maintenance program has evolved into a process whereby every two to three years we contract with an independent engineering firm to perform a field evaluation of all city streets, resulting in a pavement rating for each street,” says City Manager Greg Butcher. “We use this rating to assign priority to identify which streets get resurfaced or otherwise treated in some fashion in our annual paving project. By taking this measured approach, the City reduces the potential of having to expensively reconstruct our roadway network.”
The most recent pavement evaluation study performed for the City revealed a pavement rating of 80, which is very good for streets in a climate exposed to freeze-thaw cycles like Pickerington.
“Over the last three years, the City of Pickerington has invested approximately $4 million in to our street infrastructure,” Butcher says. “This has allowed us to resurface about 17 miles of roadway, nearly 20 percent of the total 87 centerline miles.”
“We view the continued maintenance of our streets as critical to the City’s mission,” he adds.
2022 Pickerington City Council
Front row (L-R): Bob McCracken, Crystal Hicks, Mayor Lee Gray, Tricia Sanders and Jaclyn Rohaly. Back row (L-R): Nick Derksen, Brian Wisniewski and Kevin Kemper City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
