KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii County is hiring staff to fill empty positions at Kona Community Aquatic Center.
That’s the good news for pool users, but the bad news is more positions have opened up so it adds up to a zero sum gain for now — all of which means closing time of 6:30 p.m. will be in effect until at least mid-summer.
The pool had closed at 7 p.m. but down staff led to a change in closing time, which has affected some swimmers and classes. The county had said it would return to the old time when it filled the positions. But that hasn’t happened yet.
“Part of the problem is going to be finding qualified people,” County Parks and Recreation Director Charmaine Kamaka said. “It’s not as easy to fill those positions as you might think.”
The county has filled out a vacant maintenance position. Previously, because of the department was down in that area, a maintenance worker had been splitting time between Kona and other pools.
Another contract summer hire is coming on board this week, the department said. But they will still down one full-time and one 3/5-time position due to other departures.
Kamaka said they’re filling those vacancies from within the department, and are taking the steps to advertise for the opened positions created by the reshuffling.
“They’re dancing as fast as they can,” she said of going through the hiring process.
Hours have been a sore spot for some pool users.
In March, the parks and rec department told West Hawaii Today a one-and-a-half position staffing shortage was the reason the pool closes at 6:30 p.m. rather than 7 p.m.
One of those affected is Kona Aquatics, which swims in the afternoon. Between altered hours and closures, coach Eric Rhodes said his team missed out on nine practices in May.
The lost time is especially harmful as the athletes gear up for the thick of the season, with Big Island, and state championships and mainland competitions on tap this summer. To compensate for missing out on lane time, they’ve practice in the ocean, which has led to jellyfish stings, and an infection. Besides, open water swimming is a different discipline than turning in a pool, he said.
“It’s affected us drastically,” Rhodes said, adding the team pays for the lanes but doesn’t get reimbursed for lost time. “We’re always having to work around it.”
“It is very frustrating,” said swimmer Doreen McMillan, who lives in the Palisades and was turned away from entering the pool Monday before it closed for midday break from 1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. — another bone for some users who feel it’s too long a midday break. “I’d like to see it closed for only an hour at lunch.”
There were 317,521 people who used the free downtown swimming spot from July of 2015 to June ‘16, compared to 217,142 who used the second highest frequented pool, which is Kawamoto Swim Stadium in Hilo.
The Kona pool’s heavy use, combined with the split maintenance position, led to several full or half-day closures.
In May, there were 10 of those closures, including holidays. From June through August, there are six of those days scheduled.
Fewer school competitions to schedule during the summer helps ease the scheduling as well as the maintenance after heavy use, said Alejandra Flores-Morikami, recreation specialist.
The pool is also the highest staffed of the county’s nine pools, with 10 positions there.