By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- The village and town Recreation Committee is taking steps to ensure that summer employees are better informed after pay issues saw lifeguards walking off the job this year.

Among the steps the committee proposes are establishing orientation for summer employees, including review of the employee handbook and delineation of specifics in their jobs.

At the request of Recreation Director Trey Smutz, more help with employee paperwork and grant writing will be available to him, according to committee co-chair and Town Councilor Rose Rivezzi.

Rivezzi noted at Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting that there were assurances from Potsdam Village Administrator Greg Thompson that Smutz would get help from the village on those items. The village manages the budget and running of the recreation program.

Dissatisfaction over pay prompted some lifeguards at the beaches at Sandstone Park and Postwood Park to walk off the job Friday, July 20.

The lifeguards said other lifeguards in neighboring towns were getting higher pay, and when they were hired they thought their pay would be at least the state minimum wage, but it wasn’t. Municipalities are exempt from minimum wage requirements.

The beaches were closed that weekend, but schedules were joggled so that lifeguards that had not left the job could cover positions the following week while higher pay rates were worked out. The disagreements were resolved and the lifeguards were back at work by mid-week.

Rivezzi also said she thought the director needed more than one other management employee to effectively administer the program.

“It’s too big for just two employees,” she said. Smutz will work to “identify needs and make a proposal.”

Smutz is “looking into options for older kids” in the summer recreation program, she said, and that he is working on ideas to generate more revenue for the program.