By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
KEOTA – During the April 21 meeting of the Keota City Council, the council approved hiring staff for the upcoming pool season at the city pool. Hourly wages for pool employees include: $11 for returning lifeguards, $10 for new lifeguards, $9 for returning concessions employees, $8 for new concession employees, and $14 for the pool’s two assistant managers. Councilman Curt Burroughs asked how lifeguards pay compared to other pools and City Administrator Alycia Horras stated it was in line with other pools in the area. Horras explained that the pool board had decided the assistant managers, Briley Gearhart and Ava Greiner, would handle the day to day management of the pool, with the pool board acting as a management team and meeting with the assistant managers weekly to ensure they are on the same page.
The council also approved giving Assistant City Clerk Kristen Clarke a $2 raise, from $14 per hour to $16, in part due to her new duties helping manage the pool. The council approved giving pool employees $3 an hour when working pool rentals or vacuuming the pool, with increases to rental costs to compensate. The council approved hiring a summer intern for the public works department at a rate of $14 per hour. The council approved the fiscal year 2026 budget, centered on a tax levy rate of $16.25716 per $1,000 valuation on regular property and $2.86998 for agricultural property.
