With the summer winding down to its final days, the prevalent topic of discussion at the Aug. 15 Hellertown Council meeting was the embattled public swimming pool at Dimmick Park. Its closure due to short staffing for three consecutive days during a recent heat wave drew criticism on social media.

Borough Manager Cathy Hartranft described the staffing challenges and “expensive recruitment.” Under her direction, the borough increased its wages, offered an end-of-season bonus to staffers who worked a minimum number of hours and even financed certifications for lifeguards.

Unfortunately, the incentives produced only 10 lifeguards - half the usual number. However, despite being short-staffed for most of the season, Hartranft praised the efforts of both pool staff and management for “working extensively.”

Hartranft noted that the pool suffered minimal closures due to a lack of rain for most of the summer. She said she attempted to bring in lifeguards during the heat waves from neighboring municipalities to provide relief for the “burned out” regular crew.

Former council member Jonathan Lentz joined the meeting to offer his thoughts and service to the borough for next season. “My kid loves that pool,” he said, although he acknowledged, “it’s hard to staff,” due to its size. Lentz even offered to volunteer on weekends for the 2022 season if necessary.

Recently, management has operated with rolling closures, where swimmers stay out of the water for half-hour breaks every two hours to provide lifeguards with time away. Despite the complaints on social media, Hartranft said patrons have been understanding in person and said the season has been “very successful” overall.

In other news, full-time police officers Denis Connelly and Jaron Steinmetz, as well as part-time officer Jada Roderick, were sworn into duty by Mayor David Heintzelman. The council approved Roderick’s hiring – and Connelly and Steinmetz’s promotion, from part-time status – at its July 18 meeting.

Department Chief Robert Shupp also updated the council on a March grant from the Project Lifesaver program.

The international nonprofit group distributes bracelets that help track “at-risk” folks – such as small children or folks suffering from dementia – who may be in danger of “wandering off” from home. Equipment and training were covered by the grant, and the system is now operational, Shupp said.

Bracelets are free for interested families and caregivers, and reciprocal across municipalities. If a borough resident with one were in another region where the local department also participates, it will still function as intended, Shupp added.