Lifeguards sought for renovated city pool Four part-time positions open

But the city is having trouble finding four part-time lifeguards to work at the $162,000 renovated pool, at 800 NW Second St., said City Manager Michael Smith.

In March, the city began scouting for four lifeguards by sending mailings to Broward college students, taking out a newspaper ad and notifying the Red Cross, Smith said.

But so far, the positions have been difficult to fill. ``We get a lot of potential lifeguards who don't want to work there,'' Smith said. ``The idea of working in a tough neighborhood is not that attractive to some people.''

Modello Park and the pool are important to people in the neighborhood, said Dania Commissioner Bill Hyde. ``It's the central part of the community,'' he said. There's another loose end to tie before the pool opens: Uneven, puddle-prone floors in the men's bathroom need to be fixed to meet health department requirements.

``We've got plenty of time to do those things,'' Smith said.

For four years, time seemed to be standing still for the rebuilding project.

After massive leaks forced the city to shut down the old pool in 1991, the park's swimming program shuttled kids to pools in the cities of Hollywood and Hallandale.

The commission last year approved funding for the project after quelling some turf battles.

``We had some fights,'' said Hyde, who supported the rebuilding. ``This has been a very painful experience. That expense is a big deal for a small city.''

Delay after delay strangled construction, Smith said. Original bids were thrown out because they were too high. Architects redrew plans for bathrooms to meet requirements to make them accessible to disabled people.

The new pool is slightly larger and more shallow -- five feet at its deepest level instead of eight -- than the old one. It has an uncommon design: Both ends are three feet deep.

The design makes it suitable for water basketball, volleyball and other water sports, Smith said.

Before the opening, there will be fanfare. Sometime near the end of May, the city will host a party at the pool with refreshments, entertainment and games for kids, he said.

``There has been a lot of interest in having a pool again. It had been in place for more than 30 years,'' Smith said.

The lifeguard positions will pay $8.96 an hour for up to 30-hour weeks. Three of them are summer only; the other is a year-round instructor.

Lifeguard certification and CPR training are required. A knowledge of first aid and pool maintenance are helpful.

Interested applicants should drop by personnel at Dania City Hall, 100 W. Dania Beach Blvd., between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.